Close Encounters of the Gem Kind
by Darthkvzn
Summary: On the way back to Earth after the whirlwind that their first few weeks as Paladins of Voltron has been, the gang runs into a Homeworld colony under attack by the Galra. Deciding to provide aid, however, may not have been their wisest choice... Crosses over with my MCU verse (someday), but can stand alone.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This fic kind of came along because I kept looking for cool Voltron X Steven Universe content out there in the interwebs and I couldn't find anything that fully scratched that particular itch. It was meant to be a 1k word oneshot, but, clearly, I have no self-control.**

**This fic also takes place in the larger MCU-based universe I've got going on, but it's so separate (for now) that you should feel free to enjoy it as a standalone work. I plan to leave this as a oneshot for now, but who knows? Maybe I'll continue it in the future. With all that said, enjoy!**

* * *

It's kind of funny, how much of a backwater the Milky Way is considered to be. Pidge likes to think so, at least - how many humans throughout history have proclaimed Earth to be the center of the universe? It couldn't be further from the truth, of course, but that _certainly _didn't stop them.

The reality is that galactic civilization is _practically_ nonexistent around these parts. There's nothing like the ancient Alteans, and _certainly _not like the universe-spanning Galra Empire here, and it shows; the Milky Way lacks any kind of hub worlds, or even designated hyperlanes. It's the Wild West out here - or, more accurately, the galactic equivalent of an empty Denny's parking lot at two a.m.

Still, it's nice to almost be home again. She didn't expect to be headed back so soon - heck, part of her didn't expect to return to Earth _at all_ \- but it seems Allura found herself a heart, and is allowing the Paladins of Voltron a brief, week-long window before they _really_ take the fight to the Galra for them to let their families know they're, y'know, _still alive_.

For how much longer, Pidge has no idea. They're Public Enemy No. 1, but like, on an _intergalactic_ level. That certainly doesn't bode well for their continued well-being.

In any case, they're a few thousand light years out - they're doing short jumps, so as to avoid leading the Galra back to Earth - when they catch an urgent sounding alien communication, one that makes Allura frown, and summon the other Paladins to the bridge.

"What's wrong, Princess?" -Shiro asks once he gets there, all armored up - first as always, if not for the fact that Pidge was already there, analyzing star maps with Princess Allura - confused at her expression.

"The Castle's short range sensors have picked up what appears to be a repeating distress signal. The language is..._familiar_, but I can't quite place it." -she admits.

Shiro crosses his arms. "Familiar how?"

"Yeah, we're _super_ far away from ancient Altean space." -Pidge points out.

"Altean civilization became space-faring almost a hundred-thousand years ago. We explored _most_ of the universe." -she says, as if it should be obvious. "We may not have colonized much, but we _did _visit."

Pidge deals with this mind-boggling fact the same way she deals with most things regarding Altea or the Galra. "...oh."

Allura looks smug, but only for a second, because Coran pipes up after only absently following their conversation. "Oh! That's Gem code, Princess."

Allura raises an eyebrow. "'_Gem_' code?" -she asks, on the verge of recognition.

"Yes! I guess it makes sense that they'd still be around." -he says, eager. "Gems are inorganic life forms - they don't eat, sleep, or drink, so they are _effectively_ immortal. They were one of the last intelligent species we discovered before the war."

The Princess snaps her fingers - a gesture picked up from Pidge herself. "That's right! I remember my father leaving to meet with their diplomats."

Shiro interrupts the nostalgia train. "Then let's take a detour and see if we can help them out. Earth can wait just a little longer."

Allura doesn't seem like she appreciates the commanding tone, but she clearly agrees, immediately bringing up the Castle's controls. "Generating wormhole now."

Lance, Keith, and Hunk come together into the bridge as the starship accelerates into the rift. Seconds later, they re-enter realspace, only to find themselves staring at an ongoing space battle some two thousand kilometers in the distance.

"Well, _that_ can't be good." -Lance says, helmet under his arm. He doesn't sound particularly worried.

"What the _hell_ are the Galra doing so close to Earth again?" -Keith asks, crossing his arms. He, in turn, does. Angry-worried, at any rate.

Lance cringes. Pidge is fairly certain he didn't put two and two together. "Oh, yeah, that too."

Allura immediately takes command. "Coran, jam their comms. Paladins, to your Lions."

The five of them grimly fall into place, taking the chute to their respective giant mechanical familiars. The Paladins burst out into the void, supernatural roars audible even in the oppressive silence of vacuum.

"What are we looking at, here?" -Shiro asks everyone.

"Hands, mostly." -Hunk says drily. "It's not just me, right? Everybody else can see the multi-colored giant hands shooting at the Galra fleet?"

Hunk has a knack for summing up the crazy situations Team Voltron usually encounters, and this is no exception. Indeed, a fleet of massive, human-accurate, hand-shaped warships is trading blasts with a Galra dreadnought and about a dozen cruisers. They're about half the size of the Castle of Lions each, which means they're all dwarfed by the Galra capital ships. Pidge can make out green and yellow ones, mostly, but there's a couple blue ones in there, too. She also notices that, while they've obviously suffered _some_ damage, the hand ships are all still more or less intact, while a couple Galra cruisers have already become superheated chunks, slowly falling towards the planet, caught in its gravity well.

Judging by the fleets' positions - the Galra are sandwiched between the planet and the Gem warships - the Galra got here first, and the hands are reinforcements for the Gems below.

"It doesn't matter what they're shaped like. They're outnumbered and we're here to even those odds." -Shiro finally says. "Allura, can you contact the Gems? We don't need them shooting us, too."

"_I will try. I'm not sure the Castle's translator software includes Gem language._"

"It included human, didn't it?" -Lance asks rhetorically. "Er, I mean English."

"_No, it did not. English was just relatively easy to decipher. Gem language, on the other hand, seems to be a combination of computer code and spoken word. We'll whip up a message, but there's no telling if they can even recognize it for what it is_."

"It'll have to do." -Shiro says as they enter firing range for the Lions' main cannons. "Lance, Keith, focus on the fighters - try to draw them away from the Gem fleet. The rest of us will take out the Ion Cannons. Stay on your toes, everyone."

The Paladins split into their respective groups - Pidge feels a bit awkward going with the heavy hitters, but her and Green are _probably _second worst at dog-fighting, so she gets it - and get to work. The Galra _immediately_ begin attacking them instead, completely ignoring the Gem warships, likely overcome by their desire to please ol' Zarkon with a nice, Voltron-themed gift basket.

Pidge is pleasantly surprised; they've only been at this for about a month - just last week, they saved the Balmera and its rocky inhabitants - but they already fight like a coherent unit. Part of it is the Garrison's training, sure, but this newfound success is largely owed to the mystical link they all share as Paladins. She's aware that Keith just melted down a squad chasing Lance, that Shiro just took a Jaw Blade to the dreadnought's main battery, and that Hunk just spotted a cruiser's Ion Cannon targeting her. Pidge simply dodges out of the way at the last second, letting the overwhelmingly powerful blast tear through the cruiser behind her and Green.

With the final Ion Cannon disabled, the Castle of Lions moves in. Particle blasts pepper the Galra fleet, which wastes no time in retaliating, but these bolts come from point-defense cannons - they're meant to take down fighters and other such small ships, like the Lions technically are. The Castle's barrier holds steady against this attack.

"_I am detecting a significant Galra field presence on the planet_." -Allura says. "_Several hundred Sentries, at the very least, possibly some Galra officers. They seem to be attacking a major Gem installation._"

"Then we better finish this up quick." -Shiro says. "Everyone, regroup! Let's form Voltron!"

The Lions roar in unison, flying towards a relatively safe point in space, and begin the morphing process. Pidge has studied it before from the Castle's recordings, frame by frame, but in the heat of the moment, she can't quite tell what's going on - only that she's now not quite _just_ Pidge Gunderson, or Katie Holt, but a vital component of the immensely powerful whole that is Voltron. There are no longer five Lions and their respective pilots, there is the titanic warrior and their collectively melded minds.

Well, that's what it's _supposed_ to be like, she instinctively knows. _Eventually_. But they're all still rather new at it, so they still speak up like they're separate individuals.

"Form Shoulder Cannon!" -Shiro commands, and Hunk immediately complies. The Cannon materializes, targets the remaining cruisers, and fires, swirling ribbons of deadly light tracing wild paths for a second or two before reaching their marks, burning through thick hulls and the decks within. Cataclysmic explosions tear some of the vessels apart, while those that survive are left like wounded beasts, venting atmosphere and spitting out plasma.

The dreadnought is mostly undamaged still, and its repair crews have managed to get the Ion Cannon _somewhat_ operational again - they _probably _should've ripped it off instead of just slicing at it - and so it fires at them.

Before Shiro can call it out, Pidge is already forming the shield. It's just in time, too, snapping into place as the beam reaches Voltron. Purple energy flares out around them, dissipating into harmless, free-floating ions a couple dozen miles out.

Voltron's wings return to their original position, and Shiro bellows: "Form Sword!"

"_Wait_!" -Allura calls out. "_Incoming energy signature_!"

They turn, and sure enough, a massive shape warps into the battlefield. It's a complete yellow right arm, a little longer than the Galra dreadnought, and its fist is _clenched_. It zips past Voltron at ramming speed, completely heedless of the fact that the dreadnought is charging another shot.

"Why aren't they dodging?" -Lance asks the question on everyone's mind.

The answer is apparent as soon as the beam washes over the yellow hull, and does absolutely _no_ damage.

"_Jesus_." -Hunk says. "What the _heck_ is that arm made of?"

The arm then smashes into the bow of the dreadnought, sending it backwards in spite of its powerful engines trying to compensate. Voltron boosts towards the two warships, but stops in its tracks just as they're about to reach them, as what looks like a large, yellow bubble - about the size of Black's protective particle barrier - sprouts from the arm's surface.

"Is that a _woman_?" -Lance asks, dumbstruck, as the bubble disappears, leaving behind its single occupant.

Pidge is not as impressed by the person's apparent gender, as she is by their sheer _size_ \- they're about as tall as the Black Lion while sat on its haunches. Their skin and helmet-shaped hair is the same yellow shade as the arm ship, and they're wearing what looks like a short tailcoat, olive pants, and brown boots. A square, equally yellow gemstone about as tall as Shiro protrudes from their chest - and, strangely enough, it's the only part of their body showing up on Green's sensors.

"I...I guess that's a _Gem_." -Shiro says, his usual stoic composure broken up a bit by the sheer awe this being provokes. Judging by the off-the-charts telemetry Green can make out on them, Pidge is more inclined to label them as some kind of pseudo-divine being.

The giant person spares a brief look for the stunned Voltron, before becoming enveloped in a crackling electric aura, raising their left hand, and blasting the Ion Cannon.

The superweapon briefly becomes incandescent, then _explodes_, and so does the superstructure beneath it. The Gem then leaps, seemingly unaffected by the lack of gravity, and smashes _into _the burning wreckage of the Cannon, plunging into the dreadnought's innards.

"Should we help?" -Keith asks, uncertain.

Lance scoffs. "_Help_!? Let's throw her at Zarkon!"

Shiro shakes his head as small, fiery holes begin to violently blow through the warship's hull. "Let's leave them to it. I know for a fact the Galra don't have anything inside that can actually put up a fight. Split up and head to the surface, instead."

Voltron breaks apart into its constituent Lions, which begin the descent into the Gem world. Pidge notes, somewhat uncomfortably, that the hand ships have moved in, literally _grabbing_ _onto_ the wrecked Galra warships. It reminds her of Facehuggers, which, now that she's an intergalactic traveller on the regular, she can only hope exist solely in movies.

The planet below isn't really one to write home about; it's a lifeless rocky world, not unlike a large Mercury, its thin atmosphere is primarily nitrogen-based - but the mixture is unbreathable for most life forms, humans included - and its soil is rich with aluminum oxides. Why the Gems would choose to settle here, Pidge has no clue. Maybe they _like _inhospitable worlds? They're inorganic, so...maybe they're not all that bothered by them?

The atmospheric burn doesn't last long, even with the added challenge of dodging the falling debris caused by the battle above, and soon they're diving through the thin cloud layer. Several artificial structures dot the landscape on the way to the battlefield - enormous columns beaming with light, intricate spires reaching towards space, and colosseum-like buildings floating between the clouds. The ground battle is taking place near a _massive_ canyon network, inlaid with Gem machinery. This is where most of the Gems on the planet are concentrated, if sensor data is to be believed. Then again, their sensors can only pick up the individual gemstones on their bodies, so it's really anyone's guess.

"So, what's the plan? A bombing run, maybe?" -Lance suggests.

"Negative. Some of the Gems seem to be fighting hand-to-hand with the Galra." -Shiro says. "We'd be risking hitting them, too."

"So, let's join them. Let's fight on foot." -Keith says. _Of course_ he does.

Hunk groans. Pidge winces to herself, too. Neither of them are too into the pedestrian portion of Paladinhood. "Let's land nearby and try to find their commanding officer. They'll probably know where we'll be the most useful." -Shiro says, finally.

The Lions come in hot, dust blowing as the massive mechs trot to a stop. Pidge readies herself, manifesting her bayard and hoping against hope that she won't have to use it.

She runs out of Green's mouth, meeting up with the others. All their weapons are out already. Shiro leads the way, approaching a small outpost from which a dozen Gems seem to be observing the nearby battle. None of them have anything she can identify as a gun; she spots some spears, a warhammer, several swords, and a bow and arrow. The weapon selection seems highly paradoxical, given their apparent technological prowess, but, then again, Keith's bayard turns into a sword, too, and _that's_ über-advanced Altean techno-sorcery.

The next thing she notices is that the Gems are..._eerily_ similar. Even the Balmorans were easier to tell apart; there are three types, all completely different from the last. The smallest are a head shorter than her, all colored in similar shades of red, with thick but stubby arms and legs, and a sort of blocky afro for hair. Their gemstones are all over the place - back of the hand, knee, chest, forehead, nose. Same goes for the other two kinds; one is about as tall as a full grown Galra, their stone an upright rectangle in the middle of their chest, with a poofy head of cheddar-colored hair, orange skin, a red jumpsuit, white gloves and boots, and a glittery yellow-red cape, and a green colored Gem with a triangular gemstone for an _eye_, a perfectly square head of light yellow hair, and odd, free-floating fingers manipulating some kind of hard-light screen.

"Greetings. We are the Paladins of Voltron." -Shiro announces, following protocol because he's, well, _Shiro_. "We picked up your distress signal, and have come to help."

Pidge half expects to hear gibberish back from the Gems, but when the tall, orange one replies, it's in _perfect _english. "Oh? Is that so?"

Their tone takes all of them aback. It's the condescending '_it's cute that you think you know better than me_' kind of voice Pidge knows very well from years of..._overachieving_ in academic endeavors. It's also _far _from the way you'd expect a Commander in trouble to sound like. "Uh..._yes_? We're at your service. Where do you need us?"

They languidly turn to the green Gem. "Peridot, where _do_ we need the _Paladins of Voltron_?"

Pidge vaguely remembers something about the mineral peridotite coming from the Earth's mantle. Peridot's voice is kinda nasal, and she sounds..._bored_. "Ruby squadron theta is requesting assistance, my Hessonite."

Judging by the way the small, red Gems worriedly fidget at the mention, they're Rubies, too. Now the colony makes sense; aluminum oxide forms corundum, a mineral real life rubies - and sapphires, which Pidge is guessing is another type of Gem - are found in.

Hessonite hums. "Well, there you go. Go, go! I'd _love _to watch."

The Paladins look at each other in confusion, but silently decide not to think about it too much. They rush towards the nearest fight, which is _definitely_ going in the Gems' favor.

The Rubies may lack any sort of projectile weaponry, but they don't seem to be fazed much by the Galra Sentries' laser blasts. They wince and yelp when hit, but otherwise continue charging. They're also _surprisingly_ strong, taking down the drones in a single punch more often than not. Still, the Paladins join in, blasting and slicing away at the robots. Again, their teamwork has experienced a _marked _improvement. They're hardly _commandos_, but they cover for each other's weaknesses fairly well. Most of the Rubies ignore them, but a couple of them cheerfully greet and thank them - with the absolute _cutest _voice _ever_ \- before moving on to the next skirmish.

That's when the first Galra tank pops up over a nearby ridge, points at the departing Rubies, and shoots.

The plasma burst explodes at their feet, and when the smoke clears, one lays groaning face-down, while only a circular, soot-covered gemstone remains of the other. "Lance, Hunk, cover fire!" -Shiro barks out. He dives to cover the Ruby with his body, while the Paladins distract the tank. Pidge and Keith follow suit, bringing up their particle shields, since a squad of Sentries has taken aim at them.

"I'm...sorry about your friend." -Shiro says, gravely. A large, striped, yellow-orange Gem with a mane of white hair roars past them, and absolutely _demolishes _the Sentries shooting at them. It'd be funny, if someone hadn't just died before her eyes.

The Ruby - her gemstone is on her right knee - seems very confused. "What? She's fine, she's right there! Not even chipped or anything." -she says, all earnest and adorable, pointing at the gemstone on the ground. "Haven't you guys ever seen a Gem poof before? It happens to us Rubies all the time…"

_Ah_. Pidge thinks she gets it, now. _That's_ why Green's sensors and her armor's onboard systems can't make out anything but the actual gemstone: the humanoid body is some kind of light construct. The gem _is _the Gem.

The Gem blanks out for a second, then looks at them with guilt. "Um, listen, I have to go." -she say. "We've been ordered to defend the western entrance to the Kindergarten."

Keith balks. "You have _children _here!?"

The Ruby doesn't seem to understand that word. "No? We have a vein of potential Sapphires, though, so we can't let the organics anywhere near there." -she explains, then grabs the other Ruby's gemstone from the ground and hands it to a very surprised Shiro. "We're supposed to leave poofed soldiers behind, but...she's my _friend_. Just...take care of her until she reforms, please?" -she pleads.

Knee Ruby doesn't wait for an answer, just bolting - well, more like _hup-hup-hup_-ing - towards the western side of the canyon network. Hunk and Lance return, fresh from taking out the Galra tank. "Oh cool!" -Lance says, catching the glint of the scarlet gemstone. "That's gotta be worth like, a cool million."

"This is, _apparently_, a _person_." -Pidge says, rolling her eyes.

"Wait, _what_? I thought they were just _really _into body mods."

Keith shakes his head. "Were you _not_ paying attention to your Lion's sensors?"

Lance scowls. "Don't sass me, Kogane. I've got Earth on my brain right now and not much else."

Shiro puts his flesh and blood hand on Lance's right pauldron. "We _all_ do, but we need to focus for now." -he says, understanding, rising as he cautiously pockets the gemstone. "Let's try to find the Galra commander."

Pidge pipes up. "Oh, let me." -she says, then closed her eyes. She finds that thread in the back of her mind and pulls on it, grabbing Green's attention. Their connection is nowhere near as good as it could be, one day, but this is more than enough for now.

Green is more in tune with life than any of the other Lions - as in, she can sense living organisms better than any of the others - so Pidge asks her to scan the horizon for living Galra combatants. Green roars, and a quick scan later, the actual Galra on this world are marked, and their location relayed to the Paladins. Disturbingly, Green detects none in orbit.

Shiro takes a moment to strategize. "Okay. There's three groups of Galra soldiers. One seems to be established at their FOB, and lightly guarded - Pidge and Lance, you take those out, and see if you can figure out why the Galra are so close to Earth in the first place. Another squad is establishing static defenses nearby - Keith and Hunk, that's you. I'll join the Gems in taking down the ones fighting alongside the remaining Sentries."

Pidge grimaces. She's no stranger to taking lives by now - Galra warships may be mostly crewed and defended by robots, but there's still an organic element in command, and she's taken down _several_ \- but killing up close is an entirely different matter. Something tells her that her mantra of '_one less Galra is one less obstacle between me and my family_' _probably_ won't cut it this time around.

Goddamn it, she's _fifteen_.

Lance winks at her. Pidge doesn't think much of it, considering he flirts with pretty much every being that could be argued to be sapient. "Think you can keep up, Pidge?"

"Doesn't sound like I have much of a choice." -she replies, deadpan. Pidge turns to Shiro. "I might not be able to interface with their tech without your arm, just so you know."

"Try it anyway. If you can't, just destroy their outpost." -he says.

They split up, and head towards their targets. It's a short hike, made only a bit sluggish by the debris from the battle. Pidge spots several dormant gemstones among the broken Sentries.

"So, why do you think they all look like girls?" -Lance asks.

"Let's not assume their gender." -she says. "We don't even know if they _have _one."

"No, I get _that_. I'm just saying, they _do _present themselves as feminine, more or less."

"Well, it's not like we've met them all. Maybe those Sapphires the Ruby talked about look different."

Lance hums. "And the big one? What kind of Gem do you think she is?"

Pidge jet-boosts past a Galra hovertank that looks like it's been physically crushed. "A Topaz, maybe? I don't know that many yellow gemstones. Could be a Yellow Diamond too, I guess."

"Yeah, that sounds pretty regal." -he says. "She's gotta be like, their queen or something, right?"

"If they're the leader of Gemkind, fighting on the front lines would be a _very_ poor judgement call. There's a _reason_ Zarkon's lived to rule ten thousand years. He just spits out orders from his throne room."

"Well, that plus magic, right?"

She sighs. As much as she'd love to say that 'magic is just really fancy tech they don't understand yet', she's seen enough weird Altean and Galra bull to recognize that the phrase is worthless in reality.

"...yeah, that too."

Her HUD flashes red in warning, just as they're about to crest the hill overlooking their target. She looks up, and sees a fragment of burning Galra hull falling towards their general vicinity.

"Uh...Pidge? Is that headed for…?"

"_Us, yeah_!" -she screams, grabbing his arm and punching her thruster pack to the max. They zoom away just in time, as the artificial meteor slams into the hill, the shockwave sending both of them careening across the landscape. The come to a tumbling stop a couple hundred feet away, groaning. The Paladin armor takes the worst of it, for sure, but Pidge is already dreading the bruises she'll find when she hits the showers later today.

"Are you okay?" -Lance asks.

She shakes her head, more to check for concussions than to say no. "I'm alive."

He steps into her field of view, offering a hand. She takes it and rises. "Are we still keeping score after this? I'm pretty sure the save is worth a _lot_."

Lance smirks. "No, no, I'm pretty sure this just makes us even."

"What? For what?"

"Sendak, remember?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that's true." -she says. If not for his clutch save, the cyborg might've taken them out, instead of the other way around. "I'm pretty sure the game is over anyway, they're probably all dead by now."

Lance raises an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"The fragment that almost hit us, it exploded in midair. The other piece should've landed right on top of the Galra base."

As if to confirm her hypothesis, an explosion shakes the ground on the other side of the hill. Lance winces. "Alright, let's go check it out."

They nearly crest the ridge, before they're stopped in their tracks. A Galra soldier pops over the hill, running towards them. Pidge brings her bayard to bear, but it's ultimately unnecessary. It's the briefest of moments, and the most terrifying sequence of events she's witnessed in this little space opera she's on: a blinding light appears behind the Galra, catches up to him, and consumes him. As in, when the glow subsides, the alien has _completely_ vanished. Disintegrated, presumably.

"Oh my _God_." -Lance says. Funny, Pidge didn't peg him for a God-fearing man. Teenager. _Yikes_, she's already rambling.

The Galra's killer soon becomes apparent, as the massive yellow Gem they'd seen in space nonchalantly walks toward them, each step shaking the ground beneath their feet. Pidge can't quite nail why it's so _different_ from staring up at the Lions; the height is similar after all, but the approaching Gem is so much more _intimidating_. Maybe it's the humanoid shape. Maybe it's their irritated frown.

It's _probably _the fact that their electric aura still crackles as they approach.

"I had not realized that _humanity_ had achieved spaceflight." -they say. Their voice is definitely feminine, their tone that of someone who knows themselves to be superior. There's an undercurrent of weariness, too, but Pidge is all but certain it's not of the physical kind - they move like they're on a leisurely stroll, as if they hadn't just dropped from orbit and atomized someone. "With the amount of technology Homeworld left behind, it's a _wonder _it took so long."

The being squints at them. Pidge notices that their irises - yellow, of course - have diamond-shaped pupils.

Ah. Yellow Diamond, then.

"Then again, that armor is _hardly_ of Gem make. Too..._flimsy_. Much like the rest of you _organics_."

Well, _that_ certainly sounds like an insult.

"Not just _any_ organics." -Lance says. He's afraid, and covering it up with bravado. _Classic_ Lance. "We're the Paladins of Voltron, ma'am."

Yellow Diamond seems..._unimpressed_. "Is _that_ what you call the _waste _of quintessence I saw in orbit, Blue Paladin?"

"What do you _mean_ waste? Voltron is like, the most powerful weapon in the universe!" -Pidge says. So she's feeling defensive of Green and her little found family. So fear makes her lash out a bit. _Sue her._

"I _mean _that the amount of quintessence powering your so-called _Voltron_ would create enough Gems to conquer every planet in _every galaxy_. And _yet_, its makers chose to concentrate all that power into five vulnerable little _puzzle pieces_, and then put them in the hands of _humans._"

"_Jesus_, lady. Calm it _down_, will you? We wouldn't even be here if not for your distress signal. We came here to save you from the Galra." -Lance says. Pidge isn't sure if it's intentional, but he's protectively stepped in front of her. Not that it'll do much good once Yellow Diamond tires of this conversation and _vaporizes_ them, but it's, y'know, a nice gesture.

"I assure you, your assistance was neither needed nor _wanted_. These _Galra_ may be a threat to your kind, but as you can _plainly see_, they are mere _annoyances_ for Gemkind."

Pidge grabs Lance's arm. "It's okay, Lance. Maybe we should just go back to Shiro and the others." -she suggests, rather urgently. "We're obviously not welcome here."

"_Good_. I thought perhaps I was being _too_ _subtle_." -Yellow Diamond says, disdainful. "Take your mechanical _pets _and leave _my world_, Paladins of Voltron. Return to that doomed mudball you call _the Earth_."

The Gem's aura subsides, and they turn to leave. Pidge breathes a sigh of relief because yeah, Yellow Diamond was _definitely_ considering _offing_ them. Green and Blue fly towards them as the massive arm ship pokes through the clouds above. The Gem matriarch leaps onto its palm, and disappears into its depths. The ship then points towards the sky, elongates impossibly, and disappears in a vortex of warped space-time.

"_Yikes_." -Lance says.

"Yup."

"_That_ could've gone better."

"Could've gone worse, too." -she points out. "We're not exactly great at diplomacy."

"True." -he says, as their two Lions land beside them. "Hey, what do you think she meant by calling Earth _doomed_?"

Pidge shrugs. Her nerves are a bit too frayed to really think about it. "Global warming? I dunno, Lance. I just hope we never get to ask her. At least, not in person."

"Yeah, no argument here."

They board the Lions, and head towards their fellow Paladins. They're already taking off, and it's not hard to figure out why.

"Gems are _nuts_, you guys." -Hunk says when they join them. "Like, not even the fact that even their tiny Ruby guys could toss me around like I weigh about half a Pidge…"

"Hey!"

"...they turned on us the moment the Galra were done! We didn't even have a chance to give them their buddy back!"

Pidge's eyebrows shoot up. "You _kept _the Ruby!?"

"I did." -Shiro says, gravely. "Which means this won't be the last time we deal with the Gems. We'll have to figure out a way to approach them safely, now that we know that they aren't exactly _friendly_."

"Earth first though, right?" -Lance asks, hopeful, then amends himself. "I mean, I don't know about you, but I _desperately _need some strictly human comforts. Pizza, videogames, beautiful _human_ women…"

Pidge laughs to herself. Trust Lance to ruin a somber moment, even if it's his own. The internal laugh is, admittedly, a little hysterical - they _did _just meet a space goddess, after all.

Shiro smiles. "Earth first, Lance."


	2. Chapter 2

The dormant Ruby is kept in observation for a week - the week Allura and Coran spend hidden in Sol's asteroid belt, waiting for the Paladins to return from their brief visit to Earth - before they give up on her. They don't learn much from the actual gemstone, except for the fact that, while its physical appearance may not differ at all from a genuine precious stone, its atomic structure is far too advanced for even the Castle's AI to understand. It bugs Coran and Allura for longer than they'd be willing to admit, but they're eventually forced to declare that the Gems must have developed their own, unknowable kind of magic. The Ruby is kept in one of the Castle's many spare rooms, and eventually, forgotten.

Allura is kidnapped and rescued, Emperor Zarkon _presumably _dies in a climactic duel with Voltron, the witch Haggar is discovered to be a traitor to Altea, Shiro goes missing in action, and the Galran Prince, Lotor, enacts a temporary truce with the fledgling Voltron Coalition before anyone in the Castle thinks of the Gem again. It's kind of crappy of them, for sure, considering they're ferrying around a sentient being like it's just part of their cargo, but the Ruby's gemstone hasn't done anything since they reluctantly kept it after First Contact with her race, and honestly, they've had a few too many universe-altering events to worry about in the meantime.

It's quite a shock, then, when the Castle's intruder alarms go off in the middle of the night cycle, prompting the Paladins to bolt awake, bayards blazing, only to find a panicking little Gem running around the training room in a panic.

"Oh my gosh, is she trapped in the…"

"Yup." -says Pidge, as the Ruby slams into one of the invisible maze's walls for the third time in a row. Lance snorts, which isn't very nice, but _way_ more honest than Pidge's attempt at a neutral expression.

The Ruby doesn't seem to notice them, instead punching and screaming at air in frustration. Allura rushes into the room, in full Pink Paladin regalia - regardless of the fact that none of the Lions have responded to her yet, she's been a _huge _help with ground missions - and frowns at the scene.

"Why are you all just staring at her?" -she asks, indignant. "Coran, lower the walls."

"_But Princess, the Ruby's broken through no less than a dozen blast doors!_" -he protests through the speakers.

Allura cringes a bit, but puts her foot down. Pidge can't even hide how impressed she is by Coran's statement, considering the Castle's internal reinforcements are supposed to be just about as durable as its external hull plating. "She's just confused, I'm sure. She _did _just wake up in an alien ship."

Coran seems to hesitate, but ultimately complies, just in time for the Ruby to try slamming into the energy wall for the umpteenth time. She, of course, cartoonishly runs past the missing maze and straight into a nearby bulkhead, leaving a perfectly Ruby-shaped imprint on the Altean alloy.

The Ruby groans, dazed from the unexpected crash. Pidge finally gets a good look at her: her gemstone remains on her right cheek, and her body and hair are unchanged from the form she remembers, but the uniform she wears is slightly different. The Yellow Diamond is still there, but it's on her back, now. The red, black, and maroon also seem...softer, less harshly contrasting.

Allura slowly approaches her. It makes the most sense, given her Altean strength and durability. Pidge isn't willing to bet on who's the strongest, but Allura can probably take a hit or two, giving the Paladins time to bring their bayards to bear.

"Are you ok?" -the Princess asks, softly.

The Ruby blinks, hesitant. "Yeah. Are you...one of _hers_? I can't feel your gemstone."

Everyone is confused by this. "I'm not a Gem." -Allura says, gently, taking off her helmet. "I'm Princess Allura, of Altea. Pink Paladin of Voltron."

Cheek Ruby finally notices the others behind her. "_Ohhh_, I remember you guys! Sorry, I just thought...with the pink, and everything…" -she says, embarrassed.

"That's ok." -Allura reassures her, even though none of them have any idea of what she's saying. "I imagine you're very confused, so I'll bring you up to speed: you're aboard the Castle of Lions, our home and main base of operations for the Voltron Coalition. We took you after the battle as a favor to one of your friends, but...well, it's been quite some time since then. We honestly didn't expect you to ever reform."

The Ruby's eyes do the weirdest thing then: they briefly become white and cyan, and something resembling data - Gem code, Pidge would wager - streams down their circumference. It only lasts a second, after which she gapes, holding her forehead as if experiencing a headache. "Oh my _stars_! But I wasn't trying to hold off reforming! How did it take _this _long?"

Pidge frowns, suspicious. "_Why_ would you wanna wait to come back to life?"

She fidgets. "I..._nevermind_. I need to get back to my post _immediately_." -she says, abruptly.

"Yeah, that's gonna be a problem." -Lance says. "We're, like, on the other side of the _universe_."

The poor Gem looks like she might faint at this. "_What_!? But my Hessonite needs me!" -she panickedly shouts. "Please, Princess Allura, I need to go back to the nearest Gem colony as soon as possible!"

Like Lance said, it's a problem; it's not just the distance - which Altean wormholes can make _relatively_ short work of, at Allura's expense - but the fact that they're at a crucial juncture in their fight against the Galra Empire. Prince Lotor may not be, at least on the surface, the power-hungry despot his father was, but he's not exactly a friend, either. He's brazenly taking advantage of the fact that Voltron cannot be formed without the Black Lion to enforce this illusion of peace, effectively grinding the liberation movement to a halt until Shiro - or, more realistically, another Black Paladin - is found. Lotor's buying time to decide where to take his Empire, and charming though he may be, it's entirely possible that he'll continue in his father's footsteps.

"I'm sorry, Ruby." -the Princess says. "It's going to have to wait a bit."

"No, it's not. I can take her." -Pidge finds herself saying. Everyone is surprised at this, herself included. A part of her mind is sensibly yelling at her about how bad this idea-in-progress of hers is, but she shuts it up.

Lance frowns. "Where did _that _come from?"

_The Holt side of the family tree_, she snarks to herself. Pidge crosses her arms; her idea may be impulsive, but damned if she's not gonna argue the _heck _out of it. "I'm the logical choice, guys. I'm no good at all the diplomatic stuff we've been doing, and we haven't fought anyone in weeks. Plus, I'm sick of getting no progress on the Galra tracking algorithm. I could use the change of scenery."

"Still, we shouldn't split the team up." -Keith says. "What if Lotor decides to stop playing nice? What if the Galra Commanders get tired of peace?"

"Well, it's not like Voltron's gonna rush out of the Castle anytime soon, anyway." -she counters. It's a bit of a low blow, but they all know it to be true. "You guys can handle it, I _know_ you can. Plus, the Coalition is already shaping up to be a decent fighting force, so you wouldn't be by yourselves in a fight."

Pidge briefly wonders how this discussion would go with Shiro around. Allura refuses to take up his well-earned mantle, and Keith tries his best, but he's not _quite_ ready to be the leader Shiro wanted him to be.

_Wants_. Gotta keep up the optimism.

"I mean, it's not _ideal_, but this _is _the best time for Pidge to zip to the Milky Way and back." -Hunk argues, then looks at her. "The Galra aren't patrolling the hyperlanes right now, so you'd make the whole trip in...what, a week?"

Pidge does some quick FTL calculations in her head. "Less, if I cut across their holdover sectors."

"It's far too risky." -Allura says. "A Lion on its own may be too tempting a target for even the most disciplined of Galra."

"So she doesn't go alone." -Lance says. "I'll go with her, make them think twice."

Pidge rolls her eyes. "I don't need an escort to go from point A to point B."

"How about a wingman, then?" -he says, shrugging. He pointedly glances at the expectant Ruby, then back at her. The Paladins aren't quite at the 'mutual telepathy' stage of their development as a team, not when said team is now so glaringly _incomplete_, but she gets the idea anyway; Lance isn't so much worried about Pidge and Green's ability to handle a few greedy Galra, as he is about the idea of her trekking solo across the universe with a being they know almost nothing about.

It's still kind of annoying, but she'll let it slide because, _yeah_, it's probably the smart way to go about this.

"Fine." -she allows. "Grab some supplies while I plot us a course."

The Ruby tackle-hugs her waist. It's kind of crushing her hip bones a little, but the Ruby's too cute to push away. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" -she says. "It's too bad you're not a Gem. My Commander might've thanked you with your very own Pearl!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! Bet'cha didn't expect this to get another chapter anytime soon. I'm pretty busy behind the scenes trying (and mostly failing) to manage like five different ongoing stories in two different universes, so I'm glad I finally found the time to finish this chapter. I hope you enjoy! Oh, and just so you know, there are references to the rest of this MCU based universe as we revisit the Milky Way. Since this takes place in the same 'verse as Changing of the Guard and so on, expect some Ben 10 references, and of course, some Guardians of the Galaxy and generally MCU cosmic references.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Pidge half expects a gravity well generator to pull them out of hyperflight as soon as they cross into Galra territory on day two, but they either miss the Lions hurtling through space at an exponentially increasing pace, or the Galra commanders decide to uphold the truce, so they're left to peacefully break the laws of physics aboard Green and Blue.

The Lions don't play by the same rules as the rest of the universe around them, owing to their transdimensional origins, so the intergalactic trip - which would take the fastest Galra ship at _least _a month - goes by so quickly that Pidge barely has the time to satisfy her curiosity regarding Gemkind.

Which ends up not mattering, since Ruby is _more _than happy to fill the entire time with exposition.

Ruby - technically, Ruby-7X1 Cut-5YA, but she's fine with 'just' Ruby - is talkative as heck, and delighted to answer Pidge's questions. She gets the distinct impression that, regardless of Ruby's '_My Hessonite needs me!_' comment, her superiors never really pay attention to her, so she's limited to talking to others of her kind, and thus welcomes this change of pace.

Pidge's journal gets some rather _interesting_ entries, like:

_Gems _can _eat - as in, physically consume food, and even enjoy it. However, they lack a natural digestive system and thus a way to expel whatever they've eaten, let alone use it as energy. Ruby eagerly ate one of my rations...only to spit the _mush _on Green's cockpit floor._

_Gems _can _sleep, and even dream, but this process does not have any benefits or drawbacks for them. It's simply a way to pass time. Ruby says that her home planet used to get periodic meteor showers, which the base's commanding officers would reluctantly have the Rubies sleep through underground._

_A Gem's "hard light" body/projection, obviously emanated from their gemstone, is extremely resistant to most kinds of damage, but especially kinetic forces. Energy based attacks seem to be more effective, though this is relative, considering Galra laser blasts - from personal blasters, anyway - barely seem to faze them._

_Gem society is based on a rigid caste system, divided according to Gem type and purpose. Rubies are soldier Gems, plentiful, low ranking, and usually considered to be weak and insignificant by other Gem types. (Holy crap)_

_Other Gem types include:_

_Sapphire (strategists? advisers? ...magical mystery seers?)_

_Jasper (shock troops)_

_Amethyst (general infantry)_

_Carnelian (general infantry, red edition)_

_Agate (field officer/drill instructor?)_

_Lapis Lazuli (terraformers/artists?)_

_Hessonite (field/fleet Commanders)_

_Pearl (made-to-order servants/SLAVES, JFC)_

_Bismuth (builders/architects)_

_Albite (comms officers/telepaths)_

_Orthoclase (outpost security guards)_

_Malachite (anti-organic specialists!?)_

_Peridot (technicians)_

_Topaz (elite guards)_

_Aquamarine (special agents? intelligence officers?)_

_Citrine (shipboard guards/boarding parties)_

_Jade (uhhh court sycophants, apparently)_

_Nephrite (pilots/ship captains)_

_Rutile (navigators)_

_Diamond (matriarchs/queens/horrifying cosmic goddesses?)_

It's...a _lot_. Even as someone who generally appreciates learning everything she can about a particular topic of interest, Pidge eventually asks Ruby to stop. It makes the little Gem a bit sad, but Pidge can only take so much. The more she learns about the Gem Empire, the more she wishes they'd never crossed paths with a species of tailor-made, mass produced, effectively _immortal_ killing machines.

She's thankful, then, for the pit stop they make on Olkarion. It gives her a chance to parse through the new knowledge, and of course, to plan her next move.

Unfortunately, it gives Lance a chance to figure out what she's up to, as well.

He catches up to her in Green's cockpit, careful to avoid the sleeping Gem on the floor. They're about half an hour away from leaving again, having freshened up a little, and introduced the fascinated little Gem to the equally enthused - and, somehow, utterly stumped by the Ruby's _entire existence_ \- Olkari scientists.

"So." -Lance begins, casually leaning against a bulkhead at her right. "When are you gonna let me in on the _actual _plan?"

Pidge frowns, her eyes invisible behind her reflective lenses, currently filled with all sorts of stolen Galra data she tirelessly sorts through. "What do you mean?"

He shrugs. "I won't call you selfish, because you _aren't_. It's just, leaving a project like the Galra fleet tracker unfinished? That's not really like you. Not to mention, volunteering for a mission that isn't stealth? Or tech-related? That's not really your style."

"Maybe I'm trying to branch out." -she teases, even though by now she knows he's seen through her attempted subterfuge. "I'm more than just the resident tech wiz, y'know."

"Oh, I know." -he says. "I _also_ know when your ulterior motives are showing, Pidge."

She hums. "And what would those be?"

"Usually? Finding your family." -he says knowingly.

Pidge sighs. "Well, you're not wrong. I _do _want to get Ruby back to her people, but...well, it just so happens that my latest lead on Matt's location is in the Milky Way."

Lance seems genuinely taken aback. "What? Seriously?"

She nods. "I was investigating the reason for the Galra fleet's presence in the Milky Way." -she says. "We know they were only in the galaxy because they had a lead on the Blue Lion, and we also know they left after we took it to Allura."

"Right."

"We _also _know they aren't looking to conquer our galaxy, not even to demoralize us - it's too far away from their territory, and establishing the necessary supply lines _alone _would take longer than a human being could possibly live, to say nothing of _actually_ waging war with the Milky Way."

"...I'll take your word for it."

She snorts. "It just makes no sense, that they'd be there to fight - or, rather, get their purple _asses _handed to them by - the Gems in the first place. So, I started digging."

Lance crosses his arms, pensive. "What'd you find?"

"The taskforce the Gems destroyed was sent by the Galra to track down a rebel cell." -she says. "A group of escapees from all over the Empire, known to be involved in several high profile prison breakouts. They only got distracted because the Gem colonizers were in their way."

"And you really think your brother and father are with them?"

Pidge sighs, desperation creeping into her expression. "They _have _to be. The Galra have _millions_ of prisoners, but none of them are human, so far as I or my algorithms can tell."

Lance seems to think it through. Pidge half expects him to turn around and bail on her, but he just smiles and puts his hand on her shoulder. "Then I'm sure we'll find them, Pidge."

Pidge purses her lips. "I can't ask you to join me on this. Might be a wild goose chase, after all."

He shrugs. Again. He does that a lot. "Hey, I joined you without knowing how important this trip was to you, didn't I? There's no need to ask."

Pidge smirks, despite herself. "Alright, _wingman_. Come on, let's grab some Olkari techno-ramen before we leave."

* * *

So, Pidge was _sort _of wrong, in her concept of the Milky Way's civilized status.

There's no hyperlanes, but there _are _ancient, horribly impractical warp gates spread out all over the Milky Way, _Mass_ _Effect_ style. There's no galaxy-spanning civilizations, but there _are _several sizable empires and other such recognizable powers within her home galaxy. Maybe it's less 'empty Denny's parking lot at 2 am', and more 'nearly abandoned neighborhood with, like, two big houses and a dinky little bar'.

A dinky little bar which just so happens to be their current location. She may have been wrong, but the Milky Way still _kinda _sucks.

Knowhere is a _weird _place, which is saying a lot, considering how many utterly _baffling _celestial bodies she's been to as a Paladin - Olkarion itself, for example, with its planetary-circumference-spanning mountain range, and the resulting, _utterly _unique binary atmosphere system. Knowhere takes the cake, even still.

It's a goddamn moon-sized, _rotting_ _skull_ in _space_.

According to the local archives, Knowhere is actually the severed head of a _massive_, immortal being called a 'Celestial', some kind of cosmic deity whose _cadaver_ has been used as a renewable source of several _incredibly_ valuable _divine bodily substances_, mined by the less-than-legit but still highly influential and wealthy Tivan Group.

Pidge wants to bang her forehead against Green's viewscreen. _Why _the _fuck _is space so _ridiculous_? Why can't this just be an oddly shaped planetoid? How is 'a constantly healing, decapitated space god' the _actual _explanation?

Upon learning this fact, Lance just thinks it's _metal_. Of _course _he does.

In any case, the Paladins land on the station, not bothering to conceal their identities. Pidge highly doubts anyone here even knows what Voltron _is_, let alone the Paladins and Lions that make it up. Sure enough, the looks they get are much more _confused_ than greedy, or hostile - their perpetually clean, shiny white armors stick out like a sore thumb in this seedy corner of the universe. The people of Knowhere seem to be much more wary of _Ruby's_ presence, which tells Pidge that they _must_ know what the Gems are about.

Pidge shouldn't be surprised to see such an eclectic variety of people on the station, knowing how diverse life _really_ is, but she can't quite help raising her eyebrows as she scans the crowds around them and finds everything from azure-skinned, humanoid Kree, to the more monster-like stone creatures known as Kronans. The helmet she wears identifies every species for her, which gives credence to Allura's affirmation that, indeed, the Alteans really _did_ catalogue most of the universe and its denizens.

As soon as the surprise of their appearance wears off, the residents of Knowhere treat them like any other visitor. Merchants shout at them, offering wares, beggars ask for credits, and bounty hunters - of which there are _many_, worryingly enough - eye them, trying to figure out if someone might've put a hit on their heads. Just to be sure, Pidge checks their guild's bounty board, but it appears the Galra never bothered to use local mercenary services. It still puts Pidge on edge, but at least Lance and Ruby seem ecstatic about their visit.

Lance stops by some food stalls - well, Pidge _thinks_ their merchandise is _supposed _to be food - chats with some of the miners - a couple of huge, super buff Tetramands, their bright red skins glistening with sweat - and even starts flirting with a skimpily dressed pink-skinned Krylorian, showing off his bayard before noticing Pidge glaring at him, and falling back in line behind her. Meanwhile, Ruby flits about like a hyperactive butterfly, playing tag with the station's _alarmingly _abundant orphan children and cowering away from a grumpy looking Necrofriggian she accidentally bumped into.

Despite the distracted duo, Pidge eventually ends up leading the group to a central location belonging to the leader of the mining Group and 'owner' of Knowhere, Taneleer Tivan.

"Over here." -Pidge says to them.

Lance eyes the place up. Nothing in the station is really _beautiful_, but this place comes closest. It's a massive, domed hexagonal cathedral, with a glass ceiling and walls of different sizes. These seem to have been expanded over the ages, and Pidge is pretty sure she knows why.

"What is this place?" -Lance asks, craning his head up as they approach.

"Taneleer Tivan's museum." -Pidge answers. "The guy who owns this station is known throughout the galaxy as a...collector, I guess. He seeks out strange and unique things, and displays them here as a part of his collection. He's also the owner of the mining group that you've seen around here, as well as the interstellar service that collects all the warp drive _goop _that starships seem to dump out into space after FTL travel."

Ruby makes a grossed-out face. "Gem ships don't..._do _that."

"That's because Gem tech is the most advanced thing I've ever seen." -Pidge says. "Anyway, and more relevant to our purposes here, Tivan is also the galaxy's biggest information broker, so if anyone knows about rebel movements, and how best to approach returning Ruby to her people, it's _probably _him."

Ruby gets _super_ nervous all of a sudden. "Uhhh..._rebels_? W-what are you talking about?"

Pidge winces. "Oh..._sorry_, I forgot to tell you. My father and brother were captured by the Galra a few years ago, along with Shiro, the Black Paladin you met." -she says. "I've been searching for them ever since, and my latest lead places them as anti-Galra rebels somewhere in this galaxy."

The Gem blinks. "Oh. _Oh_. For a second there, I thought you meant..._nevermind_." -she says, still fidgety.

Lance kneels down, puts his hand on the small Gem's shoulder. "Hey, it's ok. We're not your Hessonite, or your Yellow Diamond, or _whatever_. We're friends, and we'll hear whatever it is you want to tell us."

Ruby hesitates. Pidge can tell she really wants to talk, but something stops her. Given what she's learned of Gem culture, Pidge can only imagine rebellion isn't exactly an allowed topic of conversation in Kindergartens. Ruby seems to come to a conclusion quickly enough, though.

"I just...thought you were talking about…" -she says, then whispers, so low she has to rely on her helmet's real time transcription software to understand. "..._the Crystal Gems_."

Pidge and Lance share a _look_. It's not _exactly _the world-shattering revelation they were expecting. "What are the 'Crystal Gems'?" -Pidge asks.

The Ruby cringes, her already small body shrinking even further. "Oh my _stars_, you say it so _brazenly_! What if they hear?" -she asks. Pidge glances around, just in case, but nobody seems to pay them any mind. If anything, the population density near Tivan's 'palace' has plummeted to near-zero.

"Who do you think is going to hear you?"

"_Them_!" -she shrieks, almost in a panic. There's still nobody around. "The Onyxes and the Jets, all the traitor-hunters! Maybe even the _Diamonds_, I don't know."

Pidge purses her lips. It's not exactly a surprise to know that the Diamond matriarchs have Gems in their service whose only purpose is hunting down threats to their authority, but it still brings up the same terrible taste in her mouth she feels when thinking about the horrors perpetrated by the Galra under Zarkon's millennia-long tyranny. "I promise, they won't find out. If you still want to tell us about these Crystal Gems, that is." -Pidge promises.

Ruby still winces a little, but nods, trusting. "They're...well, _rebels_. Rumors I've heard around the barracks, y'know? The elites never talk about them, but they say, if you mention them in their presence, you'll be shattered on the spot." -she says.

"Jesus, _shattered_?" -Lance asks. Ruby didn't mention such a punishment before, but Pidge can imagine, from what she's learned of their..._anatomy_, that that's _basically _their form of execution.

The little Gem nods. "Yeah, on the spot!" -she repeats. "The older Gems say they rebelled against the Diamond Authority, thousands of years ago. I've only been around for a few decades, but they say that there used to be _four_ Diamond matriarchs, instead of the three we are all made to serve in this Era. They say the rebels..._shattered a Diamond_."

She says this last line like it's the last thing she'll ever say - like Yellow Diamond herself has heard this heresy and is about to _ODST_ right into her relatively fragile little gemstone, but of course, nothing happens. Ruby seems genuinely relieved. "A-anyway, that's what I thought you guys were talking about."

"Not to diminish this breakthrough of yours, but..._why_ would we have been talking about rebel Gems, Ruby?" -Pidge asks.

"Oh! Well, you're from Earth, aren't you?" -she asks, all innocent confusion. "The Crystal Gems are from Earth, too."

To say that this is a bombshell of a revelation is a _severe_ understatement. As far as _any human _knows, the _only _contact Earth has ever had with extraterrestrial life has been Altean surveyors - _gods _know how many years ago - the Blue Lion being hidden away on her homeworld, and the small Galra taskforce that tried to take Blue from them just as they awoke the Lion. And yet, here is this tiny little alien confidently affirming that alien life - and furthermore, the walking _fridge horrors_ that they've discovered Gemkind to be - existed and _fought wars_ on Earth.

Lance, ever the skeptic, is about to question the veracity of Ruby's claims, when the doors to Tivan's sanctuary open, revealing yet another Krylorian female, in _much _less sexy attire, daintily walking towards them. She smiles at them, but there's an edge to the expression, a tightness Pidge has come to associate with forceful cheerfulness.

"Welcome, Blue and Green Paladins of Voltron! You have been graced with the ever-ephemeral attention of The Collector, Taneleer Tivan. Please, gratefully accept his invitation, and walk with me into the hallowed halls of his treasure trove."


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been a while! Hope this chapter finds you well.**

**The gang finally meets with The Collector, Taneleer Tivan, and gets appropriately freaked out by his amoral hoard and generally creepy demeanor. He seems willing to help Pidge find her family, but, like most interesting side characters, he may or may not have a sidequest for our heroes.**

**Here's hoping it's not a fetch quest!**

* * *

Tivan's collection - which amounts to the universe's most _severe_ case of hoarding, really, they could make a whole _season _of the show here - is a bit of a paradox. It's evident, both from the way the people of Knowhere tend to avoid this place, and the utterly unguarded 'exhibits', that no one ever really visits the place. And yet, the displays _are _pretty much what you'd expect from a museum: exhibit titles, relevant trivia, and a fun little blurb, presumably written by Tivan himself.

Y'know, for _every single one_ of the _millions upon millions _of items on his collection. Pidge can almost _feel_ the mania coming off of them.

The collection is equal parts xeno-zoo and museum, too. There's rare creatures sprinkled in between ancient artifacts of civilizations long gone, captive specimens of eerily sapient-looking aliens just beside idols and statues of unknowable cosmic gods. It gives her a headache, just _trying _to absorb a _fraction _of the information on display. She glances at Lance, who's taking everything in with a critical eye, and Ruby, who lags behind a couple steps as she stops to look at every other object with the wonder of your average Rapunzel-like shut-in.

The Krylorian eventually leads them to a room larger than any other they've been in. Its contents tickle something in the back of Pidge's mind, and it takes her an embarrassingly long time to figure out why.

She really _has _been away from home for a while.

"Welcome to the Terra exhibit." -the woman says. "My master thought you would appreciate the familiarity."

"Where is he?" -Lance asks, more than a little freaked out. Pidge can relate - this little hoard of Earth knick-knacks feels _wrong_, in a way that the store they bought Kaltenecker in doesn't. The alien there hadn't _actually _been to Earth, and his wares - Kaltenecker included - were just reverse-engineered knock-off versions of real, decades-old merchandise advertised on TV. Kaltenecker never actually eats, nor does she, er, _poop_. She still produces milk, though, and the genuine item, too.

Pidge still hasn't _quite_ figured their bovine companion out.

The Collector, in any case, _clearly _has been to Earth - or at least, whoever gets his little collectibles has. There's Route 66 roadmarks, mexican candy skulls, what appears to be a legitimate, rusty, ancient spartan helmet, a _GameCube controller_...no rhyme or reason to it, but there's _thousands _of articles, clearly taken from Earth. It's not just the Crystal Gems and their civil war; aliens have, quite obviously, come and gone to and from Earth for _ages_.

"The Collector shall be along momentarily." -the Krylorian says, pleasantly. "He had..._other _guests to attend."

Pidge frowns. "This place doesn't exactly feel like a tourist attraction."

"Oh, no. My master is dealing with _customers_ at the moment. This collection is, aside from the largest repository of strange and unique items in the universe, one of the safest places to store items of value in the galaxy." -she explains. "There are places within this maze that are only accessible to The Collector - for anyone _else _to try would be risking madness, death...and _worse_."

There's an edge of warning to her explanation, though Pidge can't quite tell if the alien is genuinely trying to keep them safe, or gleefully threatening their lives. In any event, she curtsies, and exits the room, leaving them alone with the roomful of human knickknacks.

"Well, _that_ was creepy." -Lance notes.

"Yeah, _kinda_." -Pidge says. "What's worse than death?"

"_Harvesting_." -Ruby says, uncharacteristically serious. She shivers, then resumes her examination of a pair of aviator glasses.

Lance and Pidge share a _look_. The Blue Paladin is clearly about to ask for the little Gem to elaborate, but Pidge shakes her head. There's more pressing matters to attend.

"So...the Crystal Gems fought the Diamonds' forces on Earth." -Pidge prompts.

Ruby winces. "That's what I heard." -she says. "They say the Gems in Blue Diamond's court can actually talk about it, but Yellow Diamond won't allow it. I've only heard bits and pieces."

"You said there were three remaining Diamond Matriarchs?" -Pidge asks.

"Yeah, Yellow, Blue and…" -she stops, covering her mouth. "I...can't say her name."

Lance frowns. "It's alright, no one's gonna…"

"No, sorry, I...meant that _literally_. Yellow Diamond forbids us lesser Gems from speaking _her_ name, so we won't 'distract her with our ceaseless chattering'. I physically _can't say the words._"

A shiver runs through Pidge's spine. Incidentally, it's the same tingle she feels whenever she's exposed to a higher power - be it Zarkon's RoBeast abominations, Haggar's tainted magics, or even Voltron itself, she always feels that _slight_ cosmic horror that comes with facing entities for whom her existence barely registers.

"..._okay_." -Pidge says. "Noted. What else do you know about the rebellion?"

"Something about a Quartz soldier going rogue and sabotaging the proposed Earth colony." -she shrugs. "I'm not sure how _one_ Quartz soldier could've done everything she supposedly did. Lesser Gems can't disobey orders from a Diamond, so she should've stopped her rebellion as soon as hers gave the order."

Pidge frowns. She's not sure the situation is as..._deterministic_ as Ruby puts it - after all, and even if she doesn't really want to talk about it, she _did _intentionally delay her regeneration, and she _did _choose to hang out with her and Lance on her way back to Gem space instead of figuring it out for herself, which Pidge wholeheartedly believes the little Gem could do. Gems _must _be capable of free will.

"I dunno, she must've been defective." -Ruby concludes.

"Oh, you have _no idea _how _right _you are."

Ruby, Lance, and Pidge all turn at once, startled by the voice of a tall man with wildly spiky white hair, and a luxurious, regal coat hanging from his shoulders. "Carina…" -he says, staring pointedly at the Krylorian beside him, who rushes forward to present the man.

"_Rejoice_, Paladins, for you are in the awe-inspiring presence of The Collector." -she hastily announces.

Pidge wouldn't exactly choose 'awe-inspiring' as a descriptor for the man; Tivan mostly looks like a really wealthy space aristocrat, though certainly one who spends..._unhealthy_ amounts of time sequestered inside, probably muttering factoids to himself. He eyes them with a certain _hunger_, his gaze lingering on their bayards and the exquisite Altean craftsmanship of their Paladin armors.

"You were expecting us." -Pidge states.

Tivan smirks. "I make it my business to gather every interesting little thing I come across. Sometimes it's an artifact. Sometimes it's _information_." -he explains. "Not that your visit to Knowhere was in any way _subtle_, mind you. The Lions of Voltron are not exactly understated means of travelling the universe."

"...and you know about the Lions."

"Of course. The galaxy at large may be unaware of your…_conflict _with the Galra Empire, but I am _beyond _such ignorance."

Pidge crosses her arms. "Then I imagine helping us find my family shouldn't be a problem for you."

The Collector hums. "Perhaps." -he says. "I've always had a fondness for humanity, as you can see around you. Such _determined_ little creatures."

"This seems like a _little _more than 'a fondness', dude." -Lance mutters.

"Not when you've lived since the Dawn of Creation, Paladin." -Tivan says. "There are a great many items within my collection, to be sure, but I _have_ lived for eons. My trinkets tend to..._accumulate_."

Pidge rolls her eyes. "We're not here to stage an intervention. Just tell us if you can help, so we can be on our way."

"I can. And I will." -he assures her. "But first, I require your assistance."

_Oof_, she thinks. This'll be a fetch quest, for sure.

"It is a simple matter. I need you to escort one of my..._purveyors_. They must attend a rather _crucial_ rendezvous on the fringes of the galaxy - perfectly safe, I assure you, and convenient, too; this trip would land you quite nearby Gem-controlled space." -he says.

_Great_. An escort quest, instead.

"Why us? You _must _have some kind of transportation system for your agents."

He sighs. "While I _expect _my agents to handle themselves in all aspects of their missions - except, of course, for costs - speed is of the essence here, and there is no available transport _quite_ as quick to traverse the interstellar void as your extra-dimensional Lions." -he explains.

Lance frowns. "How big a detour are we talking here? We're in the middle of trying to figure out peace with the Galra Empire. We might be needed on the other side of the universe, any moment."

Tivan stares at Pidge. "Hmm. Does it _matter_, Katie?"

Pidge narrows her eyes, and stares into Tivan's. It's obvious from the way he talked about humans, and his age, that Tivan is no mere mortal, but Pidge gets the impression that he's no mere _immortal_, either. How does he know her birth name? Is it omniscience? Or just a really good information network? "The name's _Pidge_, Tivan. And no, it doesn't - we'll do it."

"As I knew you would." -he smirks. "You should be thankful - my usual fee is something more..._unique_." -he says, glancing at Pidge's bayard. The Green Paladin protectively puts her hand on top of it. "But, events on your homeworld have transpired such that I unfortunately cannot afford to waste time detaching you from your more valuable artifacts."

"A Paladin's time is plenty valuable." -Lance says. "Now, what's this about our homeworld?"

"Perhaps I'll tell you upon your return." -he shrugs. "Suffice it for now to say, you may want to keep an eye on your _darling blue marble_ in the near future. In between securing peace for the known universe, of course." -he says, sarcastic.

Pidge purses her lips, impatient. This _sounds _important, but she's _so close_. It's been over a year, and she's never been closer to finding her family than now, entering the service of this flippin' weirdo. "Be cryptic _later_. Who are we taking, and where?"

"You'll find them in a bar - the Lacrimal Bone is the name, I believe." -he says, then looks at Ruby. "_Do_ try and keep an open mind, little pebble. They may or may not be a bit..._shocking_, for someone like you."

* * *

Ruby fumes the whole time, going to the bar. "How _dare_ that meatball call me a Pebble?", she mutters to herself.

Ruby didn't mention Pebbles in her rather _comprehensive _report on Gem society, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out the name bothers her. "Why? Is it some kind of insult for Gems?" -Pidge asks.

The Gem crosses her thick, stubby little arms. "_Yes_! Kinda...Pebbles are..._extras_. When other Gems are made, the essence the Injectors use sometimes spills, and brings nearby minerals to life, too. They're _tiny_, and _dumb_, and all they know to do is shape-shift, so they get tossed in the nooks and crannies of Gem structures and ordered to clean, and stay quiet, and out of sight."

"_Jesus_. Ruby, why do you hate them so much?" -Lance asks, befuddled.

"I'm a _warrior_, not a _cleaning maid_." -she says, proudly, then slumps down a little. "The Upper Crusts already look down on us Rubies _so much_. I don't need a weird looking organic bashing me, too."

Pidge thinks she knows what's _really_ going on; it's not that Ruby _hates _Pebbles, but rather that she's learned from her superiors to dismiss or even _insult_ those 'below' her. Gemkind's systemic classism has obviously trickled down, even to their most marginalized members. She wouldn't be surprised if she met a Pebble and it was disgusted to meet a human - a 'lesser' lifeform.

Note to self: try and figure out how to dismantle this _horrific _caste system after the Galra Empire is dealt with.

The bar is, of course, located where a human skull's lacrimal bone would be found, just beyond Knowhere's left eye socket, a couple of miles into the station. It's _teeming _with patrons, its apparent popularity likely added onto by the fact that many of the station's miners have just ended their shifts. There's grime, and dirt, and the sour scent of sweat everywhere - something Pidge may or may not have found _disgusting _as Katie Holt, but has come to associate with the trillions of good, hard working people in the universe. Lance and Ruby, on the other hand, _do _kinda turn their noses up at the people pressing up against them, making Pidge roll her eyes at the divas she's got for travelling companions. Lance miraculously finds a couple free barstools and invites Pidge to sit beside him, while Ruby explores the completely alien establishment to her heart's content.

"What's wrong, Lance?" -she whisper-shouts, fighting to make herself heard above the bustling crowd around them. "Thought you'd be right at home at an alien bar."

His nose wrinkles a bit. "This isn't _exactly _my scene. Plus, the smells kinda remind me of the farm back home, and _that_ reminds me of manual labor, which is a no-no for Lance."

"Huh, yeah. I almost forgot about your farmer backstory."

"Lucky you." -he says, smirking. "Some of us lay awake at night, remembering days upon days of toiling away with stinky farm animals in the sweltering Cuban sun."

"Oh, shut up. You loved it."

"I _appreciate _it in retrospect." -he corrects. "In sort of the same way as I _appreciate _regular, human colds, instead of whatever alien herpes we're exposed to out here. It makes me think of home, and my family, but it's _still_ fucking annoying."

"I get that." -Pidge hums. "So, what's your take?"

"On hoarder space dandy?" -he shrugs. "He's freaky, probably some kind of horrific Lovecraftian god. What else is new?"

"That's _kind _of a depressing attitude, dude, but you're not wrong." -she says. "At this point, I'd be surprised if we meet anyone relevant to our journey that _doesn't_ have a vaguely messed up dark side."

Lance chuckles. "They really should've put it in the Paladin job description."

Pidge smirks, automatically grabbing at the glass of vaguely fruity liquid she's just been handed. She frowns; she didn't order anything - and she doubts the bartender will take GAC, or the old, Garrison-issued debit card she's still lugging around in her wallet. She has her helmet scan the substance, which comes back as a safe-to-drink alien fruit juice, no toxic or narcotic foreign substances to be found within. She turns to ask Lance if he ordered it for her, but he's already halfway through a mug of frothy amber liquid - some kind of beer, no doubt.

She looks around, but no one's staring at her suspiciously or anything. She scans the patrons for any signs of the rebels she's looking for - maybe one of them is trying to give her a signal that she's on the right track, or trying to get in contact with her surreptitiously - but there's absolutely no familiar symbols or emblems.

Ultimately, Pidge shrugs and takes her helmet off, sipping on the drink. It tastes like apple and strawberry, with a hint of lime at the end. Weird, but not unpleasant. She's more of a 'mix every soda in the fountain into one indescribable sucrose potion' kinda gal, but this mystery drink isn't so bad.

"So, what do you think they'll look like?" -Lance asks.

"Huh?"

"The Collector's agent." -he says. "What are we looking for, here?"

Pidge shrugs. "No clue. Someone unassuming, I'd think. Probably hard to tell apart from the rest of the crowd."

Lance raises an eyebrow. "Clearly, you haven't watched enough Bond movies."

She scoffs. "Knowing you, you've _probably _watched too many."

He laughs. "I'm just saying, every contact 007's ever met has been _smoking hot_. Can't blame a guy for hoping real life goes along with the cliché."

Pidge shakes her head. "Never change, Lance." she says, sarcastic.

Lance knocks back the rest of his drink. "Just messing with you." -he says. "Paladin life kinda sets you straight, when it comes to those kinds of ridiculous fantasies."

"Yeah...it does." -Pidge says, forlorn. "I think I'd feel horrible playing _Halo_, now that I've _actually_ fought and killed hostile aliens in droves."

He winces. "Maybe we should invest in some kind of therapist. I think Keith and Allura are used to it, but...thinking about it really messes with my head."

"I've almost done the math a few times, y'know?" -she confesses. "Green keeps a tally of every fighter and warship she takes down, and so does my armor. Knowing the average warship crew sizes, I could figure out almost _exactly _how many Galra deaths I've been directly responsible for - but I've never gotten to a final number. Ultimately, I think I'm better off not knowing."

"It sucks." -Lance sums up. "But Zarkon didn't leave us a choice. None of us asked for this. So, unless Lotor is _somehow_ honest about making peace with the rest of the universe, I doubt it'll _stop _sucking anytime soon."

She finishes her space juice, offering a tight smile. "Here's hoping."

They stay in companionable silence for a while, just taking in the cacophony around them. No more mystery drinks appear before them, which is _kind_ of a bummer, but does help to lessen her worry about its origin.

And then, Ruby runs up to them. She's not..._pale_, since she doesn't have any blood, but she does seem incredibly spooked.

"Whoa, what's up?" -Lance asks, surprised. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"What's a ghost?" -Ruby briefly wonders, then shakes her head. "We need to leave, _now_." -she says, urgent.

"Why, what happened?"

"There's a Gem here!" -Ruby whisper-screeches. "Well, two Gems, but they're trouble!"

Pidge frowns, donning her helmet and bringing her bayard to bear. "Where are they?"

Ruby turns, and seemingly becomes paralyzed with fear. Pidge turns, and sees exactly why; an extremely tall, lanky woman approaches, cloaked in a frayed brown cloak that barely covers her torso and thighs. Knowing what to look for, it's easy to tell that she's a Gem - her features are very simplistic, lacking fingernails, body hair, and _ears_, and her proportions are certainly _humanoid_, but very clearly not based on actual humans. Her skin tone is sort of a greyish-blue, and her short hair is white.

Also, the clothes beneath the cloak are, y'know, fused to her skin.

As she walks, Pidge spots her gemstone, a smooth, elongated oval on her right thigh. For a second, she thinks it might be a Pearl variation of some kind - she certainly seems to fit the body type Ruby described - but then, why would Ruby be afraid?

And why does she have a _second_ gemstone, poking out from the back of the fingerless glove on her left hand?

The Gem towers above them, easily ten, or eleven feet tall. "Tivan didn't mention you two would be ferrying a fugitive." -she says, airily. "Well, _another_ fugitive."

She bends down. "Been a few hundred years since I last saw a Ruby. I see the Diamonds still make you as cute as ever."

"_You're_ the passenger?"

The Gem raises an eyebrow. "I see my employer is up to his usual cryptic demeanor." -she notes. "Sorry about that. He _probably_ should've warned you what you'd be dealing with. Let the Homeworlder mentally prepare a bit, at least."

She rises and turns around. Her hair is styled in a buzz cut on the right side and back of her head - which reveals that she's _literally_ got a second pair of eyes back there, bright silver irises with dark blue sclera.

"I'm Moonstone, by the way. Get me to your Lions, yeah?"

* * *

**Moonstone is NOT my OC. The character idea belongs to Artifiziell, over on Tumblr. They're a permafusion made up of an Albite and an Orthoclase, both also her OCs. I claim no ownership over any of them, and only decided to use them because a) Artifiziell gave blanket permission for fic writers to use Moonstone, and b) Moonstone just looks so dang cool, and really fit the kind of foil I intend her to be for Ruby.**

**I invite you to check Artifiziell's Tumblr and check out her amazing creations! She's got an extraordinarily accurate take on the Steven Universe art style, and has created many OCs and awesome fanart pieces over the years I've followed her work. And hey, if you're reading this, I hope I make your concept justice!**

**If you like what I do, consider looking me up over on my social feeds, at Darthkvzn on Twitter (and Ko-fi, but don't check that one out unless you're, like, in desperate need to dispose of some superfluous coffee money), and darthkvznblogs on Tumblr.**

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I promise the next one will have actual plot :P until then, enjoy more worldbuilding/lore/headcanons!**

* * *

Moonstone is _cool_. She's kind of a Han Solo, puckish rogue type, an adventurer who's _clearly_ lived through _dozens_ of lifetimes and has collected enough experience to have an anecdote ready for every occasion.

She also _terrifies _Ruby. So much so, the little Corundum has chosen to fly with Lance to the rendezvous point.

It's a fairly short trip, just a couple hours long to traverse some twelve thousand light years to the galactic rim. They _could _go faster - and the Lions never _truly _run out of power, pulling a seemingly infinite amount of quintessence from _who knows where _\- but Moonstone suggests caution. Despite Tivan's assurances, they're headed to a sector of the Milky Way that, according to Moonstone, the vast majority of travellers avoid like the plague: the border between Gem and Kree space.

"So, why is the meeting happening all the way out here?" -Pidge asks, some five minutes out.

Moonstone sits beside her on the floor, cross-legged, still tall enough to look down at Pidge. "This is sort of a..._buffer zone_. The Kree Empire is at war with the Great Diamond Authority - well, they're at war with nearly _everybody_, really - but it's a rather one-sided affair."

"What do you mean?"

The Gem shrugs. "As powerful, disciplined, and technologically advanced as the Kree are, they _really_ can't compete with the Gem Empire. Can't beat back an enemy that never needs to stop and rest. Or eat. Or wait _decades_ for their warriors to be combat-ready."

"_Yikes_."

"You said it, sister." -Moonstone agrees. "The Kree still haven't figured out how to stop Gem expansion, so they keep this sector clear of their own colonies as a sort of stop-gap, keeping the Diamonds busy with colonization - which, to be fair, takes them _hundreds_ or even _thousands_ of years to complete for each world."

Pidge raises an eyebrow. "That seems..._slow_, for your people."

"I'm guessing you haven't seen a finalized Gem colony, then." -she says, cryptically. "In any case, the Kree have been forced to expand elsewhere for the last few thousand years, which is how you get the mess of a galaxy we have today."

"How so?"

Moonstone tilts her head. "What, did you _just _leave Earth?"

Pidge chuckles awkwardly. "Well, _no_, but we're more..._universe-spanning_, I guess. Haven't really been around the Milky Way much, until now."

"Hmm. I see." -she says. "Well, you might not want to stay long, then. This galaxy is on the brink of total war."

"That sounds..._less than ideal_." -Pidge remarks, sarcastic. "Especially considering Earth is still, like, a _point five _on the Kardashev scale."

Moonstone looks completely confused, so Pidge coughs and explains. "We can't exactly _defend_ ourselves from alien attacks, I mean. Humanity is still messing around with projectile weaponry and fossil fuels."

"Ah. Well, I wouldn't worry about your home planet too much. Earth has no value to any of the major powers in the galaxy that I know of. It's too remote, too small, and too underdeveloped for the Kree _or _the Xandarians to consider conquering, and far from the path of the Black Order's so-called Decimation."

Pidge crosses her arms. "Didn't _you_ guys try to conquer the Earth before?"

Moonstone gives her a half-shrug. "Conquering _kind of _implies violence. Pink Diamond simply claimed Earth as _hers_, and it's not like your ancestors _disagreed_ \- they were _barely_ starting to form their own civilizations. The only Gem-related conflicts on Earth happened due to Rose Quartz's rebellion. No humans were ever actively harmed, to my knowledge."

"Ruby _did _mention a Quartz…" -Pidge muses.

"I'm surprised she knows about the rebellion at all." -Moonstone admits. "She's an Era 2 Gem, made _way _after the war ended - she can't be more than a couple centuries old. I thought they couldn't even _speak _about the shattered Diamond, let alone know about the Crystal Gems."

"And you? How do _you _know all this?"

Moonstone chuckles. "Well, I'm…_old_, by organic standards. Somewhere in the late twelve thousands, by my estimation? You _kinda_ stop counting after ten thousand."

"Oh my _God_, you're older than agriculture." -Pidge shakes her head. "You were alive before the Galra Empire was a thing!"

"I'm older than _human _agriculture." -she points out, amused. "The Kree had figured industry and machines out by the time your ancestors were beginning to try out sedentarism."

"Wow. That's _fascinating_." -Pidge says, then shoots her a look. "But it's not _quite _the explanation I was looking for."

Moonstone raised an eyebrow. "Well, aren't _you _the curious one." -she says, then gingerly rubs at the gemstone on her thigh. "I suppose there's no point in playing coy: I was part of the first wave of Gem scouts that discovered and landed on Earth, prior to Pink Diamond's attempted colonization."

Pidge blinks. "That's..._unbelievable_, honestly. What are the odds that you'd end up on a mission with _two_ of a _handful_ of humans currently in space, thousands of years later?"

"_Astronomically_ low, but...you never know, with the Collector. I suspect us meeting was _very much_ intentional on his part." -she shrugs. "If there's anything I've learned in the past few hundred years of service to the man, it's not to question these things. He just..._knows_, sometimes."

Pidge hums, unsatisfied. Now she kind of wishes they'd spent just a _bit _more time talking to the eccentric old man. "So, what was it like?" -she asks, after a rather pregnant pause.

"What, Earth?" -she asks, to which Pidge nods. "_Beautiful_, to be sure. Wild, _untamed_ \- I've never seen a world with such an immense variety of life forms before, or since. So densely populated it would've taken every Malachite in the Empire and _then _some to clear it out."

Right. Anti-organic specialist Gems. _As you do_.

"Earth was small, for Gem standards at the time, but its sheer resource density made it worth finding, and spending the extra time setting up a direct line to Homeworld. We never imagined it would be Pink Diamond's first colony, much less the site of her death, and of the first and _only_ Gem civil war in history."

"So it's not interesting enough for the Kree or the Xandarians, but it _was _for Gems?"

Moonstone purses her lips. "Gemkind doesn't _exactly_ have the same criteria for colonization as you _fleshy types_ do. We don't care about atmospheric compositions, flora and fauna, or the presence of water. All we need is a decent enough planetary crust and an abundance of quintessence - the Diamonds provide the rest. Earth would've been a _fantastic_ new colony for the Empire, churned out _billions _of Gems...at the expense of all life on the planet, of course."

If Green were a car, Pidge would've swerved. As it stands, she only turns, mouth agape, utterly _horrified_. "_What!?_"

Moonstone sighs. "Like I said, you haven't seen a completed Gem colony." -she says, then nods to the Lion's viewscreen. "Speaking of which, we're about to overshoot our destination."

Pidge rushes to execute the deceleration sequence, bringing them back into realspace and sub-light speed. A binary star system greets them, the beautiful sight of which fails to bring Pidge out of her shock. Just _how _close did Pink Diamond and her Gems get to destroying all life on Earth? And how would Gem production have caused such an extinction?

She gets an answer, soon enough. Their destination is a massive, waterlogged terrestrial world, almost thrice the size of Earth. Massive, continent-wide storms reach its upper atmosphere, crackling lightning flaring both towards its watery surface, and reaching at the darkness of space. Even her indestructible cosmic Lion seems apprehensive about approaching.

But it's the planet's largest moon that draws Pidge's attention: a celestial body roughly the size of Mars, but with a _hundredth _of its mass, owing to the fact that it's been almost _completely hollowed out_.

Lance sums it up best, over the comms: "What the _fuck_ happened to that planet?"

Green's scans paint a bleak picture. The exposed planetary core seems intact, held together and in place by _incredibly_ powerful magnetic fields. Glowing crystalline rods, _thousands_ of kilometers long, stick into the core and connect it with what little remains of the moon's crust, a patchwork of what must've been continents, held in place by a multitude of gravitational engines, each the size of entire cities. The rods draw geothermal energy from the core, and feed the hundreds of structures dotting the surface. There is no mantle, no asthenosphere, and _barely_ any crust.

Strangely enough, there are no Gems on this world - a tiny reprieve in this sobering moment.

"_Now _you get it." -Moonstone says, knowingly staring at the Gem colony. "_This_ is how the Empire works. _This _is how Gems are made."

* * *

**Prefacing this by saying that I'm bad at math, I calculated the amount of time that Gems take to colonize a planet as "one Grand Canyon a month", which, if you're curious, would mean that Earth would take 8500 years to completely hollow out, as seen in It Could've Been Great. Considering Yellow Diamond outright states that 6000 years is "nothing" to Gems in the SU movie, I feel like that's a perfectly adequate colonization rate. I'd love to hear your take on it, though!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the long wait! **

**...again!**

* * *

"_That's fucked up._" -Lance says over comms. Pidge can't help but agree.

Moonstone hums. "I agree, though I not always did. To me, sprouting into life from the soil was as natural as pregnancy would be to you humans. I never saw our existence as a sum negative until I saw Gem colonies like this one displacing or even _consuming_ already established organic civilizations."

The Gem nods at the planetoid. "This is one of Blue Diamond's many abandoned colonies." -Moonstone explains, as they approach. "Gem worlds are meant to serve as communication and construction hubs after their roles as Gem-producing colonies are fulfilled - data storage and relays, shipyards, that kind of thing - but _Her Azure Majesty_ has allowed many of her worlds to fall into decay and disrepair in the last few millennia."

Pidge raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

Moonstone shrugs. "They say Pink Diamond's death hit her hardest. I'm not sure I buy it - she may have always been the most..._diplomatic_ of the Diamonds, but she _earned_ her reputation as a Shatterer. You never want to be on a Diamond's bad side, but at least with Yellow, you usually knew where you stood - do your duty, and you could count on living out your immortality in peace. Blue, though...you never knew what might spark her wrath. And her wrath was _always _final."

Moonstone shrugs to herself. "In any case, this is an ideal spot to host a meeting as clandestine as this. The Kree will never come near this place, the Gems in Blue Diamond's court have given up on the colony, and the _broken husk of a world_ is unsuitable for most organic life." -she says, brightly. "We are _highly _unlikely to be interrupted."

Pidge purses her lips. "...if you say so."

The Gem gives her the coordinates for the meeting, and the Lions dive into the atmosphere - or what's _left_ of it, anyway. Certainly not enough to sustain even the simplest of life forms. Green sets down near a tall series of stone pillars, once proudly erected over the landscape, now strewn about its base like a city-sized toddler has thrown a tantrum. Moonstone leads the way out of the Lion, which immediately erects its protective barrier, as if shielding itself from the _wrongness_ of this place. Lance exits Blue, alone.

"What happened? Where's Ruby?" -Pidge asks.

Lance shakes his head. "She refused to come. Sorry Moonstone, I don't know what she's got against you."

Moonstone chuckles - which they can hear, even in the near vacuum and through their sealed helmets. "_Oh_, I _know_ why she hates me. I don't take it personally - she's far too indoctrinated by Homeworld. I was like her once, too."

"I wish we could help her. She just wants to go back to them." -Pidge admits.

"You're already helping." -Moonstone reassures her. "You organics tend to have a bit of a..._corrupting_ influence on Gems. The more you mingle, the more likely it is that they'll break away from the system. Just ask Rose Quartz."

"We really should." -Lance says, frowning. "I don't know how I feel about immortal aliens living secretly on Earth. They could be, like, part of the _Illuminati _for all we know."

"No, no. You're thinking of _snake people_." -Pidge says, sarcastic.

Moonstone shakes her head. "Sorry. That was a figure of speech. The Crystal Gems _may _have won the war, but it was a rather _pyrrhic_ affair. The remaining Diamonds destroyed every Gem on the planet upon their retreat. You _might _find her gemstone, but she's been functionally dead for over 4,500 years."

Pidge blinks. "I...think I see why Ruby's only heard of them through rumors."

"Mm-hmm." -the Gem nods. "Can't have the non-precious stones knowing the facts. The Diamonds may be all-powerful, but there's still just three of them. There's billions, possibly _trillions _of lower caste Gems by now."

Pidge tries to picture this, untold hordes of Ruby soldiers marching across the cosmos to the tune of the Diamond Matriarchs. It's baffling to think about, and _that's_ without adding all of the other different Gem types.

Moonstone's gem - the round one, on the back of her left hand - glows, and she seemingly pulls something out of it with her free hand. It's some kind of..._puck_, a round, black device that starts beeping as soon as she holds it. "This is a communication and location device." -the Gem explains. "It's meant to be always active, but it can't transmit while inside my Inventory. It's risky for my contact to receive the signal outside of very specific timeframes, so this keeps our comms _relatively _safe."

"Your…'Inventory'?"

"Yes, all Gems can store physical entities as data within their gemstone." -she says, nonchalant. "I'd offer to carry your gear, but you Paladins seem to travel light."

The puck goes back inside the gemstone, and, nary a moment later, a crackling, hexagonal portal opens a few miles above them. Her helmet's optical zoom function reveals a small, interceptor-sized craft popping out of the presumable warp gate, and hurtling toward them.

"Right on schedule." -Moonstone says, approvingly.

"I thought the warp gates in this galaxy were fixed points in space." -Pidge notes.

Moonstone gives her a _so-so_ hand gesture. "It's not _that_ precise. If that were the case, pirates would ambush you at every entry and exit point." -she reasons. "The warp gate network is based on star systems. Basically, any system with the potential to hold life can be more or less reliably trusted to have a warp node, which means you can jump through pretty much any place, in and out of that particular star system."

Pidge hums as the small vessel gets close enough for details to be discernible. It's a strange, vaguely ovoid craft, its hull black and fashioned from a chitin-like material. Two wings or stabilizers protrude from its sides in a V-shape, towards the rear. The main, egg-shaped fuselage seems to be mounted on a somewhat flat platform, equipped with ventral thrusters and forward facing energy cannons.

"It's a Sakaaran _Necrocraft_." -Moonstone helpfully supplies. "Speedy little buggers, plenty of firepower. About as durable as a paper starship, though."

"It looks like it's covered in bone." -the Green Paladin comments.

"That's because it _is _bone - an exoskeleton, to be precise. It's called a _Necrocraft_ for a reason. Sakaarans are insectoids, and they come in a few, _wildly _different varieties - the humanoid drones, the small worker grubs, and the largest ones, bull-beetles. They're not sapient, like their genetic siblings, but rather like cattle. When they die, their thick, sturdy carapaces are used for construction - starships included."

Lance looks like he'll hurl if Moonstone keeps talking. Pidge finds it fascinating, if utterly disturbing. Fortunately, the _Necrocraft _begins its landing sequence before the Gem has a chance to continue explaining.

Moonstone beckons for them to approach the bizarre vessel. A hatch opens, and a humanoid figure steps out, fully decked out in a pressurized bodysuit.

"You're _late_." -the visitor says, barely audible in the thin atmosphere. It's a female-sounding voice, and upon closer inspection, the figure cuts a vaguely female profile.

"We had to wait for a couple stars to line up." -Moonstone says. "Wiser to be patient, with these things."

The figure crosses their arms. "Wiser, perhaps. Not necessarily _better_. Ronan razed another colony on behalf of the Mad Titan while we were being _patient_. I barely managed to warn them on time for the civilians to evacuate. The defenders weren't so lucky."

The Gem's whole demeanor shifts. "What? _Already_?"

"He's getting _impatient_. Xandar is still _very much _in one piece." -they say. "Quickly _filling up_ with refugees, but standing nonetheless."

"_Stars_…we thought we'd have more time."

The visitor nods, tersely. "You have the location?"

Moonstone pulls a tablet-looking device from her gemstone. She sends over a file, which Pidge surreptitiously picks up. It's a set of stellar coordinates, J00443799+4129236. Curious, Pidge sends the data over to Green for later inspection.

"I imagine Tivan will be drawing the attention of a few more interested parties?"

"You know him. One way or another, he _will _be getting that Orb."

The contact shakes her head. "It might be too late already...but I'll do everything I can." -they say. "Thank you."

They turn to leave, but Moonstone steps forward. "Gamora, wait."

'Gamora' stops and turns. "_What_? I'm cutting it too close as it is."

"The rebels on Methun IV, are you still in contact with them?" -Moonstone asks.

Gamora nods, dubiously. "Sparsely, yeah. They're not doing too well. Charity will only get you so far when you bring hostile extragalactic invaders to people's doorsteps."

Pidge frowns, grim. "The Galra?"

"That's what they called them." -she confirms.

"They were destroyed months ago, though. We should know, we helped."

Gamora shrugs. "You must've missed some, then. There's been a Galra flotilla searching the Methun system for a few weeks. They know the rebels are _somewhere_ in there, but they haven't been able to find them. I've tried convincing Ronan to wipe out the invaders, but he believes they could potentially become valuable allies in his crusade, if the rumors about them are true."

"What rumors?"

"That their reach extends far beyond the galactic rim. That their forces outnumber any known army or navy by a factor too ridiculous to calculate."

"...yeah, that sounds about right."

Gamora pauses for a second. "Then we're in far more dire straits than we anticipated." -she says, darkly. "Who are you, again?"

Pidge points at the Lions. "We're Paladins of Voltron. Defenders of the Universe."

"Hmm. You could stand to focus on _this_ corner of the universe a _bit_ more."

"...we're working on it." -Pidge sighs. "I don't suppose you know if a 'Matt Holt' is part of the rebel cell?"

Gamora shakes her head. "I don't know any of their names. The Collector would know better."

Pidge can't help her disappointment, but she doesn't exactly have the time to dwell on it.

"Oh, _sister_. That is _just _the confirmation I needed."

They all freeze, and turn to see what appears to be a female cyborg has climbed up on top of the _Necrocraft_. Her helmet's HUD struggles to place her species, as the cybernetic enhancements seem to be _extensive_ \- the fact that she can shrug off the hostile atmosphere _alone _is mind-blowing - but it eventually designates the interloper as a female Luphomoid.

"_Nebula_." -Gamora hisses.

"Ronan will be pleased. He's suspected you of colluding with his enemies for some time. As have I, of course - you'd never been one to show your targets mercy before we were assigned to the Accuser's service." -the blue-skinned woman says. "_Father_, on the other hand...he'll be _so _disappointed."

Gamora brandishes a sword that extends from a hilt previously concealed on the small of her back. Nebula narrows her eyes. "You won't even try to deny it?"

"You said it yourself. It's all the evidence you needed."

Nebula tilts her head, perhaps in grudging respect. She raises her arms, and a platoon of black-clad troops files out from behind the _Necrocraft_. They're armored by the same chitinous material as the hull of the organic vessel. Pidge isn't too worried; peacetime or not, they're used to facing far greater numbers of Galra drones and warriors. She does share a look with Lance, who merely shrugs in confusion. The last thing either of them expected was to get involved in an alien sibling feud. Moonstone...doesn't seem all that surprised.

Gamora charges at Nebula, who responds in kind, both sisters roaring at each other like off-key alien lionesses. The soldiers blast green bursts of plasma at them, so Lance and Pidge close ranks and deploy their wrist-mounted shields, ushering the tall Gem to get to cover. Moonstone glows, and her form _shrinks_, becoming small enough to fit behind Pidge.

"So you guys are shapeshifters too, huh?" -Lance asks, sarcastic, pulling out his bayard and blasting at the enemy. As Moonstone predicted, the armor isn't _quite _up to snuff, crumpling and breaking before the hard light rounds. Lance downs three warriors with a single mag-cycle.

Moonstone smirks. "We're anything and everything that'll get the Diamonds a new colony, Paladin."

"No kidding." -Pidge says. "What's the plan?"

"Kill the Sakaarans. Let Gamora deal with her sister." -she shrugs. "This isn't the first time she's caught us. It likely won't be the last."

Pidge frowns, but doesn't ask for a more elaborate answer, as the insectoids begin surrounding them. She pulls out her bayard, takes aim, and fires at one of the soldiers. A couple of them dive out of the way in time, but the glowing green blade does find purchase in the chestplate of an unlucky Sakaaran in the back of their formation. She pulls herself towards them with the help of her back thrusters, letting her shield act as a battering ram, bowling over the soldiers. Once in the midst of their formation, Pidge switches her bayard to shock prod mode, and lets the glorified magic taser do its thing. Before she knows it, Moonstone is at her back, full-sized again, and wielding a fancy pike in conjunction with her own handheld blaster.

The Gem is, predictably, a _much _better fighter than her. Probably even better than Allura herself; she moves with almost _mechanical_ precision, managing the battlefield and her enemies like she's already practiced and perfected this fight in her head. They already got a taste of just how _proficient _Gems are at combat, but Moonstone seems to have an edge above even the quartz soldiers. Pidge is pretty sure that, at one point, the pale Gem tosses her pike into an enemy, grabs another Sakaaran by the throat, and _tosses _him at the soldier she was about to shock, all in one swift motion.

The last Sakaaran soldier falls via headshot, courtesy of Lance's marksman rifle. As always, Pidge checks herself - and Lance - for injuries, thankfully finding none. Moonstone scowls, covered in alien blood, and clenches her whole body, _expelling _the offending fluid from her form with a bassy sound that pops her ears. She picks up her pike, which subsequently vanishes into so many light particles.

"You're kinda _terrifying_, you know that?" -Lance says, dispelling his bayard. Pidge follows suit.

Moonstone holsters her blaster. "So I've heard. Come along. The next part's a bit tricky."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask." -Pidge says. "What did you mean by 'not the first time she's caught us'?"

"Nebula is _quite_ the huntress. She's suspected Gamora of colluding with the enemy for some time, and she's caught on to our communication methods - though I really hoped this latest trick would last longer." -the Gem explains.

Gamora approaches, dragging what looks like her sister's corpse behind her. Moonstone shakes her head, grim. "Fortunately for us, Nebula's cybernetics make her liable to..._forget_, at least until she figures it out again."

Nebula's body spasms with electric impulses, Gamora's sword stuck inside her chest. It's a grim sight, but the rebel sympathizer doesn't seem all that bothered by the fratricide. "This looks much worse than it is." -Gamora reassures them. "Her self-repair protocols will kick in in a few minutes, and she'll be back to normal in a couple hours."

"So you'll just...what, wipe her memories?" -Pidge finds herself asking, her tone dubious.

"Not wipe. _Modify_." -she says. "Nebula would _never_ warn Ronan of a potential betrayal - not when she could catch me in the act and take me back with the evidence, instead - but he _will _know a battle took place here. We just need to make it look like a battle he'd approve of."

It's..._icky_. Everything about this _screams_ at her Paladin sensibilities. Sure, the cyborg _clearly _intended on killing them all, but messing with her mind like this is…

Well, it's something she'd expect from Haggar and her druids.

On the other hand, Gamora seems to be important for reaching Matt and his band of rebels, so, as much as she hates to admit it, she doesn't really have a choice. Gamora pulls out some kind of data drive from her belt, inserts it into the port on Nebula's head, and quickly modifies what she needs to.

"There. Now she'll remember it as us putting down a rogue Sakaaran platoon, instead."

Lance crosses his arms, clearly unhappy with the situation. "_Right_. Any _other_ shady crap you'd like to involve us in?"

Gamora tilts her head. "Not that I can think of." -she says, and retrieves the blade from her sister's chest. "I assume you'll be going to the Methun system next?"

"After we drop a passenger off, yeah." -Pidge says. "Think you could call ahead?"

"I will. But you'll have to deal with those Galra." -she warns. "The _last_ thing this galaxy needs is _another _power hungry faction to worry about."

Pidge nods. "You've got it."

Gamora looks at her temporarily fallen sister. "Truly, I hope you do. I know your priorities lie elsewhere, but...well, we're running out of time, and if we fail _here_, the _rest _of the _universe_ will suffer the consequences."

* * *

**I've been told I should promote my Ko-fi now that I'm done with college and, suprise, surprise, unemployed, but I feel like there's greater causes to contribute your hard-earned bucks to. Like, Australia is burning to the ground as of the time of this writing, so maybe look at that first?**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one is nearly done, so it shouldn't be too much of a wait.**


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter's been pretty much ready since January, but I'm a dummy who can't ever plan out a writing schedule, let alone an upload one. Anyway, hope you enjoy! (Reminder: Moonstone and her components are owned by Artifiziell over on Tumblr, go show her some love! She's an incredible artist, and generous enough to allow other artists and writers to use 'em)**

* * *

Moonstone finds Nebula's concealed shuttle shortly after Gamora leaves - an aging Kree model, she says, hastily outfitted with stealth technology. It must've jumped through the open warp gate used by Gamora's _Necrocraft_ \- a maneuver which could've easily had them smashed to quantic bits if done wrong, apparently. If nothing else, Pidge appreciates just how…_dedicated _Nebula must be.

"I'm afraid this is where I take my leave." -the Gem says, as soon as she gets the transport working. "You need to find this 'Matt Holt' - and even if you didn't, I heard you're dropping Ruby off next."

"Not fond of your former rulers, I take it?" -Pidge asks.

"That's _one _way of putting it." -she sighs. "Listen, if I get anywhere _near _a functioning Gem colony, I'll be _shattered on the spot_. As much as I'd like to gallivant around the galaxy with you guys, I'd rather keep my stones intact, thank you very much."

Pidge winces. "_Geez_. Just _what _did you _do_?"

Moonstone gives her a sad smile. "I existed." -she says. "Normal Moonstones don't look like me. They don't have extra eyes, and they're not nearly as tall. And, of course, they don't have two gemstones."

Lance crosses his arms. "I've been meaning to ask about that."

"I'm surprised you didn't." -Moonstone says, and then she glows, the same way she did when she shape-shifted, but her luminous form doesn't only shrink this time; it _separates_, into two distinct, smaller humanoid shapes. Moonstone's external clothing falls to the ground, and when the light subsides, two Gems stand in place of her.

The taller one is light blue, though a shade darker and more saturated than Moonstone was; she's about Pidge's height. The other is bright yellow, and maybe just a _hair_ taller than Ruby.

"Hello, Paladins. I'm Albite." -the taller one amiably says.

"And I'm Orthoclase!" -the shorter one proudly proclaims.

Pidge shakes her head. Add _voluntary amalgamation _to the already _insane _list of Gem powers. Lance blinks, confused. "Wh-where did Moonstone go?"

"Moonstone is a fusion." -Albite pleasantly explains. "She's a powerful avatar of our combined forms and attributes, and a physical representation of our bond."

"I'm guessing that kind of force multiplier is a no-no on Homeworld?" -Pidge says.

Orthoclase shrugs. "S'not that simple. We wouldn't be able to fuse if it wasn't part of our design."

"Fusion _is _a bit frowned upon, if a common enough practice - Ruby squads will meld together to form larger, more _intimidating _warriors, Zircons will fuse to allow for instant debates, that kind of thing." -Albite says. "Fusing for pleasure, however? And with a different Gem type entirely? It's a crime against the Diamonds' perfection - an unforgivable disfiguration of their Light, as it shines through our forms, instantly punishable by execution."

"And that's all Ruby knows, I bet." -Lance surmises. "She thinks your fusion is some kind of..._hybrid_ _monster_. _Er_, no offense."

Albite nods. "Like Moonstone said, she's indoctrinated. Which is why we'd like to ask you to help her."

"Alb and I never joined the Crystal Gem Rebellion." -Orthoclase confesses, almost guilty. "But we knew they were in the right the moment Rose Quartz proudly presented a fused Garnet among their growing ranks - the same kind of _messy_, experimental cross-Gem fusion Moonstone used to be, when we first fused with each other."

"Homeworld's grip on their subjects has always been too tight for us to be able to do for them what Rose Quartz and that Garnet did for us, that day - inspired us to go rogue and live out our days as Moonstone, but most importantly, free from the Authority. But this Ruby...I think she might listen. Not to _us_, obviously, but…"

"We organics have a 'corrupting influence' on good, loyal Homeworld Gems, huh?" -Pidge asks, rhetorically.

The smaller Gems smile at her, and fuse back into Moonstone, whose formerly poncho'd-over torso bears the broken, jagged halves of what could charitably be interpreted as a Diamond insignia. "That, you do." -she says, donning her clothing once more.

She rises to her full, inhuman height, and looks sadly at the stars. "I'm sure this comes as no surprise, but there is no life for Ruby to return to - Homeworld will have replaced her tenfold by now. Desertion is so rare a crime for Gems that she _might _survive long enough for a technician to examine her gemstone for defects, but her commanders would _never_ risk further sedition by letting her rejoin her cohort. She'd likely be harvested afterwards - recycled into the production of another Gem, or used to power one of their machines. In any given case, a grim fate awaits her under the Diamond Authority."

"So, what do we do?" -Lance asks. "We can't exactly _kidnap_ her and hold her against her will. _Again_, I mean."

Moonstone hums. "Rubies are known for being somewhat..._scatterbrained_. And really, the passage of time is so _irrelevant _to us Gems. Perhaps you could make the case for her freedom on the way to Matt Holt?"

Pidge smirks. What they'd do with Ruby afterwards, she has no idea - their lifestyle doesn't _exactly_ lend itself to hosting guests at the Castle of Lions - but Ruby certainly deserves the chance to make her own life, out of the Diamonds' shadow.

Her response is cut off by a column of cyan light, shooting off from somewhere in the vicinity of the Lions towards the inky darkness of space. Pidge frowns, confused, but what's happened begins to dawn on her when she sees Moonstone's expression of pure dread.

"Was that…?"

Moonstone nods, gravely. "_Ruby_. She must've found a functional Warp Pad nearby."

Lance brings up a holographic image of Blue's cabin from his wrist, and it is indeed empty, save from a few scribbles left scorched on a metal crate, hastily set up on the pilot's seat. Moonstone narrows her eyes. "Can you read that?" -Lance asks.

The fusion hums. "Low-strata Gemglyph, yeah. It's been _quite_ a _while_ since I last read any, but I believe she says she's '_sorry for not waiting, but (her) Hessonite needs (her)_'." -she says, then winces. "_Damn_. I didn't know she was serving a Garnet."

"I'm guessing that's...bad?" -Pidge asks.

Moonstone snorts. "Any Gem caste the Diamonds regularly choose to entrust with Light Prisms is bad news." - she says, then shakes her head. "_Forget it_. We need to focus on saving her."

She _takes off_, her long legs leaving them in the dust - so sudden that the Paladins are forced to activate their thruster packs after a shared look just to keep up.

"I thought you said you'd be shattered on the spot if you went back!?" -Pidge yells to be heard over the noise.

"Oh, yeah, for sure!" -Moonstone says, nervous for the first time since they've met. "But Ruby won't fare much better. I'll just have to hope my disguise holds long enough for us to get Ruby back…"

They make it back to the Lions in no time, but Moonstone doesn't stop. "We can't just _leave_ the Lions, Moonstone!" -Lance shouts.

"Well, we can't take them with us, either." -she retorts. "Forget the fact that they're not fast enough to reach Ruby intact, the Gems would shoot them down _immediately_."

They arrive at the Warp Pad. "Maybe we can have them follow us?" -Pidge suggests.

Moonstone shakes her head. "We're gonna need them handy. I imagine we'll have to _book it _once we nab Ruby." -the fusion says, taking off her real clothing and weapons, and storing them in her gemstone. She then shapeshifts - she becomes shorter, and her sensible jumpsuit becomes a flowing tunic, her short, cropped hair becoming a long mane reaching past her hips. The tunic's long arms serve to hide the gemstone on the back of her hand, while the one on her thigh remains uncovered. Her expression becomes serene, like that of a monk.

"Whoa." -Lance says. "You look like a completely different person."

"This is what normal Moonstones look like." -she says. She stares at the gemstone on her thigh apprehensively. "This is the wrong cut for a Moonstone...we'll have to hope they haven't seen one in a while. They're reclusive enough."

"How long can you hold this transformation?" -Pidge asks.

"An hour, maybe?" -Moonstone says, dubious. "I've never tried to shapeshift for longer than a few minutes, but I _should_ be able to hold it longer, owing to my fused state."

Moonstone steps on the crystalline platform, which glows and hums softly as it, presumably, recognizes the presence of a Gem. Pidge and Lance share one last worried look, before climbing on and bracing as a torrent of light whisks them away from this broken world.

* * *

**As always, thank you for your attention! Make sure to comment or message me if you have any questions about this story. Look me up on Twitter as Darthkvzn or Tumblr as darthkvznblogs if you'd like - and on Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, if you like what I do and have a coffee's worth of money to spare.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Fair warning, this one's even MORE of an infodump than usual. This fic is an exploration of Gemkind first and foremost, though, so I hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

If not for the fact that they are now surrounded on all sides by potentially hostile Gems, Pidge would be _delighted._

It takes, though it feels like a minute or two, only about thirty _microseconds _in real time for the Warp Pad to deliver them to their destination; according to the _very confused _integrated Galactic Positioning System in her armor, in that time, they travelled about seventy-two light years - a feat only the _teludav's _wormholes can match, and _that's _because they cheat via Allura's _bullshit space magic_. The Lions can get even _faster,_ but they need a 'running start', so to speak.

Two point four _million light years _per second is _nothing _to scoff at. Gem tech is _wild._

The Gem colony around them is, interestingly enough, the polar opposite to their previous location; it's a bustling, lively volcanic world, judging by the atmospheric composition and temperature, as well as, y'know, the _active volcano _in the distance. Gems of all shapes and sizes run to and fro, not even stopping to spare them a glance; Pidge can see _hundreds_ of Rubies, dozens of Carnelians and Jaspers, several crews of burly Bismuths, and what looks to be an Agate, if Ruby's description is to be believed.

Moonstone breathes a sigh of relief. "They're only just setting up." -she notes. "This is a new colony."

"Is that good?" -Lance asks, raising an eyebrow.

The fused Gem snorts. "Fewer _upper crusts_ for me to try and fool."

The Agate takes notice of them, then, and walks toward them, a puzzled expression plain on her face. She's a good eight feet tall, wide around the hips and shoulders, white hair sticking up in waves and tips, shaped and moving like an open flame. Her jumpsuit is styled in a gradient - red, to orange, to a yellow insignia in the midst of her chest, shaped like, you guessed it, a _diamond._ "Welcome to Fulguras V, your eminence." -the Agate says, confused. She speaks in what Pidge assumes is the Gem's own language, which her HUD translates on the fly thanks to the post-Gem distress call patch she derived from the Castle's ancient logs. "To what do we owe the visit of a Moonstone? And with _organics _in tow, no less?"

The tone isn't so much _demeaning_ as it is _dismissive_ \- about what she's coming to expect from Homeworld Gems, even the _friendlier_ ones - but it still kinda makes her and Lance bristle. "Fire Agate." -Moonstone replies, Pidge assumes, for their benefit. "I am here in the service of the _lustrous _Blue Diamond. She requests these..._diplomats _be allowed to witness the sheer _efficiency_ and _order_ of your colony-in-progress, that they be convinced to allow for the construction of an outpost on their home planet."

Fire Agate narrows her eyes. "Blue Diamond...requested this?"

"...via her _Pearl,_ of course." -Moonstone says, giving the Homeworlder a meaningful look.

"_Ah._" -the Agate says, knowingly. "Yes, of course. I've _heard _of this..._approach_ of hers."

Lance and Pidge share a look. Moonstone hums along. "Could we trouble you for a tour, then?"

Fire Agate purses her lips. "I was not appraised of this visit by Yellow Diamond." -she notes.

"_Surely_ our fulgurant matriarch has more important matters to attend to than something like this." -Moonstone suggests. "I suppose you _could _contact her...but I can only imagine both Blue and Yellow Diamond would value your _initiative _in showing us around without their prompting."

The Agate straightens at the thought of pleasing the Diamonds. "O-of course! The wisdom of a Moonstone proves, as always, to be second only to that of our matriarchs. Come along, then."

Pidge nearly _gags _from the _sycophancy _of it all, but she can at least breathe a sigh of relief; the first hurdle past, it's time to find their Ruby.

* * *

Thanks to Fire Agate's _insanely _detailed description, Pidge now has a pretty good idea of how Gem Colonization works.

It begins at the very top, with the Diamonds picking a planet based on its mineral abundance and proximity to Gem-controlled space. Organic life _is _a factor to consider, but only insofar as knowing what kind of force to send; if the planet is devoid of life - which is the most desirable condition, Pidge is surprised to find - the colonization process is very simple and relatively speedy, with a simple orbital prospection leading to designated areas for Kindergartens, factories, shipyards, and the like. Especially _beautiful _worlds get to have spires, colosseums, and temples built and dedicated to the Diamonds, for them to occasionally visit and the 'upper crusts' - aristocratic Gems like Sapphires, Emeralds, and Moonstones - to decadently live in. Once designed, the colony is terraformed by Lapis Lazulis, _powerful _hydrokinetics that carve up a world to specification, and set the stage for the injection process to begin.

If a world _is_ previously inhabited, things get a whole lot more complicated; if the lifeforms are not considered sapient, and their presence inconveniences Gem development, then the Diamonds send Malachites - the anti-organic specialist Gems Ruby mentioned - which efficiently wipe out the bothersome lifeforms. If the species _is_ intelligent, then Blue Diamond's Court takes over, and begins attempting a diplomatic colonization of the planet. Gems are, of course, ageless, and thus patient enough that they don't mind sharing a world with another civilization for a time - they will most _certainly _outlive them, and eventually keep the planet for their own. If the existing lifeforms are outright _hostile,_ or if relations break down, then Yellow Diamond _herself_ takes command, and unleashes the full might of Homeworld's forces upon the unfortunate civilization - a process that, in _eons_ of Gem expansion, has never failed to utterly _cleanse_ a planet of organic life. Whether by blade, orbital bombardment, or even biological warfare, all of them fall before the power of the Diamonds.

Once a world is prepared, Injectors - large machines resembling bacteriophages, _kinda_ on the nose if they ask her - descend upon their designated Kindergartens, carrying a mixture of Diamond essence and some form of hyper-advanced computer code contained within a porous, hollowed crystal that selectively draws in the surrounding quintessence and the specific minerals that will form the gemstone. Once buried, the stone is subjected to _incredibly_ intense pressure and heat, which more or less mixes things together and 'cooks' it until the Kindergarten's technicians deem it ready. After a brief cooldown period, the hard-light projection forms around the gemstone, and the Gem _smashes _her way out of the soil, ready to serve the Great Diamond Authority. No childhood, no training, no _nothing._

Pidge can't even _imagine_ what it must be like, to be born with a specific purpose you're expected to perform indefinitely. To wake up and have a job you are _literally _made for and, likely, happiest doing - at the expense of never getting to _have _any other experiences. She knows Gems can pretty easily adapt to radically different circumstances - Moonstone being a prime example, but Ruby also acting nothing like the foot soldier she's supposed to be during her stay with them - so it's not like the Authority _can't_ allow them personal freedoms.

They just choose not to.

From her limited experience with Yellow Diamond, Pidge wonders if the Gem Matriarchs are even _capable_ of considering their subjects to be anything more than tools to expand their empire with.

All of this is _fascinating,_ but the tour's taken a while; Pidge worriedly notes that Moonstone's movements are getting a stiffer, and there's, of course, no telling what the Homeworlders might've done with Ruby, so it's time to lay on the pressure.

"So, what do you do with the Gems that get hurt on the job?" -Pidge asks, as they exit the Alpha Kindergarten.

Fire Agate blinks, probably shocked that the _organic_ can even _talk._ "I...well, Gems are nearly indestructible, but should the injury somehow prove more than our bodies can handle, we will automatically shed our physical forms and retreat into our gemstones until the projection is regenerated."

"And if the stone itself is damaged?"

The Agate narrows her eyes. "The odds of that happening are..._incredibly_ low. Even the lowest among us are nigh-indestructible."

"But you _can_ break." -Lance says, playing along. "I mean, you wouldn't really need to make more Gems if you never lost any."

"I do not question my Diamonds' designs." -she says, cautiously glancing at Moonstone. "If they deem the creation of more Gems necessary, then by their will be done. I suggest you not question them further."

"You would do well to heed this Agate's advice, children." -Moonstone chastises the Paladins, then turns to their host. "That being said, I _am_ curious to know if your harvesting facilities are equipped with the latest technology; I am told the technicians in Homeworld have recently devised a Rejuvenator that _permanently_ resets a Gem's consciousness."

Fire Agate raises an eyebrow, impressed. "A _Rejuvenator?_ They haven't been used since before I emerged."

"Oh, I remember them well." -Moonstone says, a shadow briefly passing through her expression. "A _beautiful_ weapon - Gem armaments are something of a hobby of mine. Quite effective, in the short term. A shame, really - one too many Gems remembering their past, rendering the Rejuvenators obsolete. I don't suppose you have one of the new models?"

"We received a weapons shipment from Homeworld not too long ago - there seems to be some kind of _organic_ conflict in the system." -Fire Agate says.

"Better safe than sorry." -Moonstone nods approvingly.

Fire Agate tilts her head at the strange idiom, but doesn't comment on it. "We could go over the shipment, if you'd like? Give our guests a sense of our military might in the process?"

"Did you have an Albite read my mind when I wasn't looking?" -she jokes, which is apparently funny to the Agate. "By all means, lead the way."

* * *

**As always, thank you for your attention! Make sure to comment or message me if you have any questions about this story. Look me up on Twitter as Darthkvzn or Tumblr as darthkvznblogs if you'd like - and on Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, if you like what I do and have a coffee's worth of money to spare.**

**I'm not great at physically describing characters and locations, so if you didn't really get what Fire Agate looks like, just imagine Holly Blue Agate with a Guy Fieri makeover. Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hoo, boy! This is a BIG one (by my standards, at any rate)! It was a lot of fun to write, but I am super tired, so this note's short and to the point. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Fulguras V is a young colony, and thus its armory is relatively small. The way there is _impressive,_ though - situated inside a heavily guarded, inverted crystal pyramid that was once Fire Agate's flagship, but has since become the heart of the whole operation. There's four ways in and out, one for each of the pyramid's faces, but the bridges leading into them are _completely _exposed - not even any handrails for cover.

OSHA would _not _be pleased.

Mapping out the way from the Warp Pad to the pyramid confirms Pidge's fears; there's a _lot_ of both distance and potential enemies blocking what's sure to be an explosive escape, and _that's_ without considering the fact that, likely as it is that Ruby is held somewhere in the former flagship, there's a _lot_ of ground to cover. They pass several troop barracks, sparring rooms, crew stations - and even what Pidge deduces must be the engine room, given the massive, pulsing crystal it contains is connected to all the other parts of the ship via vein-like crystalline tubes. There's something oddly..._organic_ about it that she can't help but feel unnerved about.

At long last, Fire Agate leads them to the armory. She starts describing their ample weapon selection - Pidge is momentarily confused, given she _knows_ Gems can produce weapons from their gemstones, but the Agate answers her question before she can ask it: only the most elite are allowed to bear their personal arms, which are in some way unique to the specific Gem. Given the wildly varying range of weapons a Gem could potentially spawn - like, for example, a shock trooper-type Gem like a Jasper developing a bow - the lower castes must settle for mass produced, standardized weapons, which eliminates the randomness factor, producing more predictable results in combat.

_And leaving no room for individuality,_ goes unsaid. As far as Pidge can tell, the only thing a Gem is _truly_ allowed to develop for herself is a hairstyle.

In any case, the sort of _medieval_ theme for their weaponry continues - swords, warhammers, and spears making up the majority of the arms in the armory - though Pidge _does _spot a few long range weapons more modern than a _longbow._ Namely, a series of shoulder mounted cannons like the one Hunk's bayard gives Voltron, and some ballistae-looking giant crossbows meant for Ruby fusions to wield. The Agate seems to be _incredibly_ passionate about Gem weaponry, gleefully describing the many ways they can be used to kill, and the many variants that exist, even beyond the sizable variety on display.

Pidge is more interested in a rack of tuning fork-like implements, which hold a floating oval in between the two prongs. Her HUD reads a massive amount of energy stored within - _way_ too much for such a small instrument. "What are these?" -she asks the Agate.

"Much too dangerous for an organic." -she warns, frowning.

"They are Gem Destabilizers." -Moonstone helpfully supplies. "They contain a _minuscule _fraction of Yellow Diamond's power."

"So what, we'll vaporize if we touch 'em?" -Lance asks.

"No, but a Gem's physical form will instantly dissipate." -Moonstone explains, giving them a pointed look. Fire Agate frowns as she continues. "The lower castes can be _so_ unruly. A zap from those will set them straight in a _flash,_ however. I am told it is _quite_ painful."

"I would _never_ question your _wisdom,_ of course...but should the organics know this information?" -Fire Agate asks, raising an eyebrow.

Moonstone laughs like one of those haughty, anime princesses. "_Surely_ you don't fear a pair of overdeveloped _apes,_ do you?"

"O-of _course_ not." -she amends. "But a _planet_ full of them could prove..._bothersome,_ should they foolishly decide cohabitation is not in their best interests."

"_Gee,_ whyever would we do _that?_" -Lance asks, sarcastically. "Somehow, I don't see us angering our immortal, hyper-advanced neighbors."

"Perhaps _you _will not." -the Agate shrugs. "But your _offspring,_ will they share your wisdom? Will _theirs?_ You organics can be so..._fickle._ So _devious,_ and _foolish, _when you mistakenly believe yourselves superior. A great many species have made _unfortunate_ choices when it comes to allying with the Gem race - I merely suggest you make sure _yours_ does not. We wouldn't want to disappoint Blue Diamond."

"_Uh-huh._" -Pidge says, narrowing her eyes behind the visor.

Moonstone giggles, breaking the tension. "Aren't these little ones such an _entertaining _bunch?"

Fire Agate snorts, switching her focus to a central console. Moonstone makes a stiff, pleading face that all but screams '_don't antagonize her',_ which the Paladins grudgingly nod to. "Now, how about those Rejuvenators?" -she pleasantly asks.

The Agate hums. "Yes, _about _those. We don't seem to have received a shipment, unfortunately." -she says.

"What? _Really?_ That's such a shame."

"Indeed." -she says, her tone clipped.

"I suppose we'll have to finish this little tour with a look at the _harvesting facilities_ then?" -Moonstone suggests. Pidge worriedly notices that her form is beginning to _swell,_ ever so slightly - the fusion must _really_ be pushing the limits of her shape-shifting ability.

"I'm afraid they are currently in use. A defective Ruby, you understand." -she says, apologetic. "I doubt it's something the organics would like to be exposed to - no doubt their _delicate sensibilities_ will have them..._object_ to the process."

"I bet the _Ruby_ would object to the process." -Pidge mutters.

"Oh, no. The Diamonds' light shines through us all, my dear - the poor things understand that they _must_ reflect their perfection. No impurities. No cracks. And _certainly_ no off-colors - which this unfortunate little corundum appears to be a part of."

"You are unsure?" -Moonstone asks. "Is that kind of defect not immediately obvious? A unique case, perhaps?"

"So it would seem." -the Agate says, narrowing her eyes. "It was the strangest thing; a panicked little soldier, claiming she served a _Hessonite, _of all Gems. We found no record of her service, of course. The Peridots assumed she was _cracked,_ or perhaps the result of an old, malfunctioning Injector, abandoned long ago. But no, the gemstone was perfectly adequate, a normal Ruby by all accounts - it's the only reason she wasn't _immediately _repurposed, you see. Reviewing her memories has proved..._difficult,_ but the technicians seem to believe she abandoned her post, somehow."

"Oh? A _traitor _in Era 2? _Fascinating._" -Moonstone says.

"Yes. _Fascinating._" -she says, then crosses her arms, gesturing at the console as she turns to face them, a scowl on her face. "As _fascinating _as the place she warped in from. Care to take a guess? I _promise_ you'll find it..._familiar._"

Pidge doesn't need her HUD's translation of the information on display to know the jig is up. "_Imagine_ my surprise when a Moonstone seemed to share my passion for weaponry." -the Agate continues. "And my _shock,_ when she seemed to know about a new weapon I'd never heard of. I was too overwhelmed, I'll admit, by the honor of hosting a Moonstone, to realize the..._coincidence_ of your timing. And, now that I know better, of your _origin._"

Moonstone shrugs, awkwardly. "It's a small universe."

Fire Agate smirks. "Not _that_ small."

Moonstone groans. "Oh, _fuck it._" -she says, then glows, her figure returning to her normal, _abnormal_ proportions. She sighs in relief, her being no longer compressed into such an uncomfortable shape. Moonstone flicks her short hair, towering over the shocked Homeworlder. "I wish I could say it was fun while it lasted, but...it _really_ wasn't."

"_Fusion!_" -the Agate hisses. She reaches into her gemstone - an angular, tear-ish shaped little thing hidden on the inside of her left arm - and pulls her weapon, the handle and flame-shaped pommel of a sword, topped by a series of flaming spheres floating one on top of each other, five in all, in place of a blade.

Lance, smart boy that he pretends not to be, immediately reaches for the Destabilizers, but the Agate is quicker, lashing out with her weapon, which links the orbs with flame when swung, like a whip, and sends the Destabilizers flying, shattered in pieces. "I'll give you credit, little ape. _That_ was the smart play."

The Blue Paladin brings his bayard to bear, riddling the Gem with hard-light rounds, but the Agate is mostly unfazed, barely wincing at the sting of the impacts. Pidge pulls out her own bayard, hoping to distract her, but the Agate merely side-steps, grabbing the glowing green zipline and pulling her into a punch - one that would would've likely _wrecked her shit,_ if not for the fact that Moonstone body slams into the elite Gem and sends her careening against a nearby wall.

"You two get out of here." -Moonstone says. "You can't hope to match an Agate, and there's no telling what vile things they're doing to Ruby."

"Will you be ok?" -Pidge asks.

The fusion brings her weapon into existence, brandishing the pike with expert dexterity. "I _think _I'll be fine." -she says, amused. "Now _go,_ save our little friend."

Lance nods, helping Pidge to her feet, and leading the way. "This is _crazy!_" -Lance says, running past a Jasper that immediately growls and starts chasing them. Pidge lassoes a cylindrical container with her bayard and throws it at the Jasper, wincing as it explodes on contact. The Gem groans, landing in a smoking heap, but it obviously draws the attention of _every other Gem_ in the vicinity.

Pidge pulls them into a small alcove, letting a dozen soldiers run past. "We don't even know where we're going!" -Lance hisses.

"We know where we're _not,_ though." -Pidge reasons. "I've been mapping this ship out as best I could, and we know Ruby isn't in any part of it we've been through."

Lance nods. "Good idea. What do we have left to check?"

Pidge brings up a holographic depiction of the ship, marking in red all of the places they've been. As it turns out, Fire Agate was incredibly diligent - there's only two, fairly large rooms left, roughly the same size, and both on the second to lowest deck. "These two rooms. Should we split up?"

"Let's _not._ You've seen what these people can do. If they catch us alone, they're gonna kick our asses." -Lance says. "We have a better chance of keeping them on their toes if there's two of us."

Pidge purses her lips. "Alright. Take your pick, then."

Lance rolls his eyes. "Shouldn't we figure out how to get there first?"

"Help?" -a tiny voice says, beneath them.

The Paladins, taken aback, look at the floor, where three small creatures are staring up at them. They're various shades of gray, lumpy shaped, with stubby little arms and legs. Their stones are _tiny,_ but they're there - small and misshapen as they are, these little creatures are Gems, too. "Uh…'help'?" -Pidge asks.

The little creatures giggle. "Help, yes!" -the middle one says. Then, fast as lightning, the Gems get to work, shape-shifting their hands into tiny saws, which they then use to cut a square hole right beneath them. All five of them fall into one of the conduits flowing from the ship's core, the Paladins hanging onto each other for dear life as they ride it down into the lower levels.

"Jump!" -the little Gem says. Trusting her gut, Pidge does, Lance following suit shortly afterwards. They land, hard…inside what can only be a cell in the ship's brig. It's a spartan place - a generous descriptor, really, as there's literally nothing but three walls, a floor, and some kind of energy barrier leading to a hallway with many other similar cells.

Pidge is about to simultaneously praise and curse the Gemlings for their smarts, but it's all part of the plan; before Lance can even consider squishing them for the betrayal, they cut a hole beneath them once again, and they fall into a tall, cavernous room - so tall, in fact, that they're forced to activate their jetpacks to avoid breaking their legs. The only thing inside the room is a catwalk, leading to a sort of altar upon which floats a small, white pyramid.

"Take!" -the tiny Gem says, excited. "Take, take!"

"Uh..._sure._" -Pidge says, and jogs up to the platform. The pyramid is about the size of a tangerine, and hums with _unimaginable_ power. Her HUD indicates it's safe to touch, though, so she picks it up, half expecting the ship to blow up, or a comically large, round boulder to flatten her. Nothing really happens, aside from the pyramid glowing slightly brighter.

The tiny Gem climbs on her shoulder. "Yay!" -she cheers.

"I guess so." -Pidge says. "What should I call you?"

"Pebble!" -she says, pointing at herself, then at both of her fellow Gems. "Pebble, Pebble!"

"_Oh._ Yeah, I should've guessed that one. Context clues, and all."

The Pebble giggles, then points at the farthest wall. "Shoot!"

"With _what?_" -Pidge asks, raising an eyebrow.

The Pebble points at the pyramid. "Prism!" -she says, then giggles. "_Boom!_"

Pidge is _mighty_ skeptical, but she points the prism at the wall. All of a sudden, her HUD is _filled_ with Gemglyph symbols, streaming down too fast for even the armor's systems to understand. Sure enough, a beam of light _blasts_ at the crystalline structure, tearing a person-sized hole into it, and knocking her onto her butt.

_Boom,_ indeed.

Lance joins her side, smirking like a madman. "Holy _shit,_ Pidge. I think I love our new friends."

"Flirt with the tiny rock people later." -she snarks, rising to her feet. "Let's go get Ruby."

Pidge leads the way, making the jump from the platform with the aid of her jump pack. Much like she'd predicted, the only remaining room is the harvesting room, which is about as horrific as it sounds. Instead of a mostly empty space, this room is _chock full_ of machinery - grinders, presses, furnaces, everything you'd need to turn a gemstone into dust, and use it for something else. At the end of the room is a suspended beam of light, within which floats an unconscious Ruby.

"Halt!" -a yellow-green, slender Gem says to them. It's a Peridot, if memory serves, and there's another one like her just beside. They're each pointing one of their strangely voluminous arms at them, the floating fingers rearranged into a sort of blaster cannon, four fingers pooling green energy into the thumb, at the center. Lance aims right back, putting them in a stand-off. "This is a restricted area!"

"We'll be right on our way." -she says, sarcastically. "Just as soon as you hand over Ruby."

"This Ruby unit is slated for inspection and harvest." -the lead Peridot says, as if that should stop them. "Our report is not complete!"

Lance shakes his head. "We just blasted a _hole_ in your creepy execution chamber and stole your glowy _pyramid thingy_. Step aside or we _will_ poof you."

The second Peridot gasps. "You've pilfered Fire Agate's Light Prism! Give it back, you-you...you _clod!_"

The Paladins look at each other, then smirk. "Oh, so this is _important,_ huh?" -Lance asks, giving them a predatory smile. "It'd be a shame if we..._dropped_ it…" -he says.

"Oh, _please,_ a Light Prism is _hardly _that fragile. You'd have to blast it with a not insignificant amount of energy."

"Like the one you're planning to shoot us with?" -Pidge asks, sarcastically.

The Peridot growls, frustrated. "_Grrr..._just hand over the Prism, meatbag!"

Pidge tries to think of a way to get past them, but the room is too narrow to go anywhere but forward. She glances around at the machinery - maybe she could mess with it, commit a cardinal engineering sin and mess with a fellow technician's tools - but the Pebbles beat her to the punch, jumping onto her back and activating her jetpack somehow. Pidge hastily adjusts her angle, and brings up her shield, which takes on the brunt of the blasts the Peridots manage to get off. The Pebbles go flying off, while Pidge and the Homeworlders land in a heap, just before Ruby's suspended form. Pidge rolls away, as one of the Peridots tries to pin her down, but she can't escape the grasp of the second one, those pesky fingers slamming her against the wall, hard enough that she blacks out for a second.

Lance shouts her name, his assault rifle becoming a marksman's one, and blasts the Peridot holding her down straight between the eyes. The Gem doesn't poof, but she _does _relax her grip as she stumbles backwards, stunned, enough for Pidge to bring out her own bayard and shoot it at her chest, willing the strongest possible current to zap her into nonexistence. It's a gamble; Pidge knows Yellow Diamond's powers are electrokinetic - and even though her bayard, legendary tool of the Paladins that it is, can't hold a candle to a Diamond's power, the principle behind it should be similar enough to work.

As the Gem bursts into a cloud of yellowish green smoke and light particles, and her triangular gemstone - as well as, bizarrely, her forearms and feet - clatter onto the ground, she breathes a sigh of relief. It'll take her bayard a minute or two to recharge, but it's worth it.

The other Peridot _shrieks _in anger, projecting a green field around Lance and throwing him, weightlessly, against her. Both Paladins grunt in pain, Pidge thankfully ending up on top of the tangle of limbs they've become. He stares up at her, dazed, as the Peridot gathers herself, muttering something about reporting her fellow Gem's poofing. "Huh. Never noticed. You have really pretty eyes." -he says, a goofy smile gracing his lips.

She rolls her eyes, though the compliment _does_ make her feel the tiniest bit warm inside. She must be starved for human interaction. "Tell me about it when we _aren't_ about to die, dummy." -she urges.

"Not gonna happen." -Lance glances down, and she follows his gaze. He's holding his inactive bayard in between them. "Get it?"

Pidge snorts. "You're not _nearly_ as pretty as Leia." -she remarks.

"I dunno, I think I could rock a metal bikini." -Lance argues.

Pidge scoffs, then rolls out of the way, Lance's bayard morphing into the assault rifle again and unloading into the approaching Peridot. Unlike the Fire Agate, the technician is driven back by the bayard's firepower. Pidge helps Lance to his feet, the pair a bit worse for wear than they're used to.

"_Really_ thought that would poof her." -Lance says, wincing as he rolls his shoulder. "What's our next move?"

She quickly scans the scene; Peridot is already getting back up, the Pebbles are hiding with the Light Prism in a corner...and Ruby is still floating, completely unaware of what's happened.

Pidge slaps her palm against her visor, mentally kicking herself for not thinking of this earlier. She manifests her bayard again, and shoots the grappling hook at the gravity field projector at the top. The charge may not have been enough to poof a second Peridot, but it certainly has enough juice for this. A short electric burst later, Ruby drops onto her face, groaning.

Lance raises an eyebrow. Pidge shrugs. "Ruby'll _probably _have an easier time of this than us."

The Peridot gasps. "My beautiful gravity projector! How _dare-_ " -she manages to say, before Ruby's little fist _slams _her against a wall, where she instantly poofs, her gemstone making a couple clinks at Ruby's little bootie-clad feet.

_Famous last words,_ Pidge supposes. Ruby stares at her trembling fist like she's looking at it for the first time in her life. The Paladins approach, while the Pebbles gather the stones and the..._body parts,_ for lack of a better word. "You ok?" -Pidge gently asks their liberated friend, as the lead Pebble climbs onto her shoulder and hands her the Prism.

Ruby whimpers. "No, not really." -she mutters. "Why did you follow me?"

Pidge shrugs. "I know we didn't meet through the _best _of circumstances but...you're our friend, Ruby."

"Yeah, but...how could you have known they'd do this to me?" -she wonders. "For all you knew, I just saved you the trip, right?"

Lance shakes his head. "Yeah...no easy way to say this, but Moonstone knew they wouldn't take you back."

Ruby can't help the wince. "Th-the _fusion?_"

"_Yes,_ the fusion." -Pidge says. "I can't imagine how hard it is to digest, but...the Diamonds are _wrong._ About fusion, about expanding at the expense of all organic life...about treating their subjects like expendable tools."

The Gem's lip trembles. "B-but they're supposed to be _perfect!_"

"Take it from someone who's been around _most_ of the universe, Ruby." -Lance says. "_Nobody's_ perfect. Not the heroes, not the villains...and _definitely_ not the giant rock ladies."

Pidge kneels so their eyes are level. "Look, we can't expect you to figure everything out right now. But we _do_ need to escape. Moonstone is holding back the Agate in charge of this colony, but there's a _lot_ of Gems between us and the Warp back to the Lions. Can you help?"

Ruby tilts her blocky head. "The fusion is _that_ strong?"

"She seemed to think so." -Pidge shrugs.

"Even a _whole Ruby squad_ couldn't take on an Agate." -she whispers. "How could a measly Albite and an Orthoclase?"

"Seems to me like the Diamonds are wasting some potential, there." -Pidge says. "But y'know...you could always ask Moonstone herself."

Ruby considers this for a moment, then nods, her fists clenching. "Okay. Grab those Peridots and follow my lead."

Lance crosses his arms. "_Why_ would we take the enemy with us?"

She looks sadly at the remains of her would-be executioners. "They got poofed by organics. If we don't take them, they'll probably get shattered."

The Blue Paladin sighs. "Yeah, that checks out." -he mutters. "Ah, well. If we're liberating Gemkind, I guess we could use a head start."

* * *

The way back to Moonstone is, shockingly, _kind_ of a cakewalk. Ruby seems to be _inspired,_ barreling through her former comrades like they're barely even there. Some of the larger Gems give her trouble, of course, but the Light Prism makes short work of them. Pidge idly wonders if she should be worried about how much the Pebbles seem to be enjoying the bloodless carnage.

It quickly becomes apparent that the fight between Moonstone and the Agate has torn up the flagship's insides. Walls and floors have collapsed into jagged crystal shards, and a not insignificant number of gemstones number among them. The Paladins almost take them, but stop when a couple of them begin to float and glow - apparently, soldier-type Gems, Ruby's case notwithstanding, respawn _very_ quickly.

Moonstone and Fire Agate are at the entrance all of them came in. The Agate blocks the way out, but the fusion isn't anywhere close to leaving - she's got a fused pair of Jaspers behind her, and three Ruby guards. Moonstone looks a lot worse for wear, her form flickering as if on the verge of collapsing, but to her credit, Fire Agate looks even _worse._ Her flame-like hair has gone out, her right arm is glitching out, and her 'clothes' are all tattered and cut up. Her weapon, too, has been damaged - it's lost three of its five flame orbs.

Fire Agate spots their strange little party, and looks about close to spontaneously poofing in rage. "_You!_" -she hisses. "Soldiers, _squash those organic pests!_"

She barely dodges a swipe of Moonstone's pike. "Don't take your eyes off me, darling." -the fusion taunts. "I'm the _aberration _here, remember?"

"_Every single one of you_ is an _aberration._" -the Agate growls. "A twisted _mockery _of the Diamonds' perfection."

"Oh, _come off it,_ you _massive tool._ Pink is _dead,_ Yellow has her hands full managing _every goddamn colony,_ Blue hasn't stopped crying in eons, and- "

"_Don't you say it!_" -Fire Agate tries to stop her rant, lashing out with her shortened fire whip, but Moonstone expertly dodges it.

"_White Diamond, _" -Moonstone grinds out, taking extreme delight in saying the name of the missing Gem matriarch, "her _pasty majesty,_ hasn't stepped foot out of her palace in an era. Perfect my hard-light _ass._"

The name brings a shiver to everyone present, even the Homeworlders. Pidge doesn't even have to ask - it's _immediately _clear that White Diamond is the one at the very top. Hearing the boss' name seems to push every last button Fire Agate had left, because she freakin' _rushes_ forward, decking Moonstone straight past the Jasper fusion, and just short of Pidge.

Her whole form flickers, but she manages to remain fused, even though she moans in pain. "Hey guys." -she mutters. "Nice job rescuing Ruby."

Ruby numbly waves at the fusion, who smiles. "Nice to see you, too."

"_Enough_ of this _nonsense._" -Fire Agate says, fuming. "_Crush them!_ Make them _suffer!_"

Lance brings up his rifle, but it's all too clear that the bayard has absolutely no effect on the fused Jasper, who takes her sweet time approaching them. The Ruby guards, on the other hand, rush them, but Moonstone manages to put up her pike and swat them aside, poofing one of them with the bladed tip, before lying back down, exhausted.

"You have to get up!" -Ruby pleads. "We can't take them all!"

Moonstone offers a pained smile. "Sweet as it is that you're _talking_ to me and all, I'm running on fumes, here. I'm gonna split any moment."

Pidge points the Prism at the fused Jasper, but it flashes red when she tries to blast it. "What the…?" -Pidge wonders.

Fire Agate cackles. "You thought you could wield the Prism against _me?_ Its _master?_ You're dumber than I thought, fleshling."

"In fairness, I was aiming at the Jaspers." -she says, sarcastic. Pidge turns to Moonstone. "We'll buy you guys as much time as we can. Figure something out!"

She arms herself with as much valor as she can, and flings her bayard at the ceiling above the Jasper fusion, pulling herself up towards it and kicking it in the face. It barely stumbles back, but Pidge still achieves her main goal: mounting the giant's back. She grabs huge fistfuls of cream-colored hair, and pulls back as hard as she can. Double Jasper roars in pain, as Lance switches to marksman mode and tries to at least _annoy _her by shooting at her eyes.

Ruby stares, back and forth, at her valiant friends and saviors and the fusion she's been taught to hate and feel disgusted by. Certainly, she's nowhere near the grace and poise of a _normal _Moonstone - and how _could_ she be, formed from a glorified comms technician and a base guard barely more prestigious than a normal Ruby soldier? - and the 'deformities' are there, in the form of an abnormally large body and those unnerving, extra eyes in the back of her head, but…

Aside from her unorthodox appearance, what is her crime? Ruby tried not to listen before, but she got the gist of it from the open comms between the Lions; Moonstone's led a fairly happy life, away from the Diamond Authority - away from the _structure,_ from the carefully designed plans of the Diamonds - one full of adventure, and long-lasting friendships. There were _hardships _and _unknowns,_ to be sure, but...well, whatever her motivations for defecting and forming a permanent fusion may have been, they clearly changed her - and if her willingness to dive right back into the belly of the beast for a fearful, cowardly Gem like herself, knowing next to nothing about her?

Seems to her like the change was for the better.

Ruby makes a choice then. She puts out her hand. "Moonstone."

The fusion opens her eyes, glassy with exhaustion. "Yeah?"

Ruby nods, resolute. "_Fuse with me._"

* * *

**As always, thank you for your attention! Make sure to comment or message me if you have any questions about this story. Look me up on Twitter as Darthkvzn or Tumblr as darthkvznblogs if you'd like - and on Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, if you like what I do and have a coffee's worth of money to spare.**

**Until next time!**


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